header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
February 12
1879 - Mint Canyon School District organized (merged into Sulphur Springs Union in 1944) [story]
Mint Canyon School


SACRAMENTO – The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has certified a new vegetation treatment program that will help minimize wildland fire risk across the state while ensuring the highest level of environmental oversight.

The California Vegetation Treatment Program, or CalVTP, will create efficiencies within the regulatory process to scale up fuel treatment and forest restoration projects toward meeting the state’s goal of treating 500,000 acres of non-federal lands annually.

The program provides California a new tool in its efforts to build wildfire resilience and improve longterm forest management in the face of climate change.

“I commend the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection for working with the environmental community, state regulators and public safety officials to develop a long-term solution to increase the pace and scale of critical vegetation treatment in a way that safely and responsibly protects our environment,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “The scale of the wildfire crisis in California is unprecedented, and we need a response to match the scale and severity of this challenge.”

Improved vegetation treatments, including fuel breaks that slow wildfires to protect communities, and projects that restore natural fire regimes, are part of a suite of actions Newsom called for within days of assuming office earlier this year. Other priority actions include hardening homes and improving communities’ preparation to survive wildfire.

The CalVTP reflects more than a decade of careful work to analyze potential environmental impacts associated with different types of vegetation management, consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. This programmatic analysis will reduce redundancies in each project’s environmental review by allowing project sponsors to build upon verified environmental analysis contained in the CalVTP as they begin their site-specific study for their individual projects.

In early 2019, citing extreme peril posed by megafires, Newsom declared a state of emergency to fast-track 35 critical forest-management projects to protect more than 200 of California’s highest-risk communities and redirected National Guard members from the border to undertake fire prevention activities throughout the state.

To ensure necessary work could get underway immediately, the emergency proclamation suspended certain requirements and regulations as needed to carry out its directives, including CEQA.

By expediting the process, these emergency projects are on track to finish in less than one year, rather than a typical pace of three to five years. In November, two of these emergency fuel breaks were used to protect Santa Barbara residents during the wind-driven Cave Fire, resulting in no lives or structures lost.

As part of the long-term solution, CAL FIRE developed the CalVTP to enable projects to move forward efficiently while maintaining and protecting California’s diverse vegetation and habitats. The program will help CAL FIRE, and other public agencies comply with CEQA while delivering projects more quickly and affordably on over 20 million acres of land that is the responsibility of the state. Projects that will benefit from CalVTP include:

* Wildland-Urban Interface fuel reduction, including removal of vegetation to prevent or slow the spread of fires between wildlands and buildings.

* Fuel breaks that support fire suppression activities by providing emergency responders with strategic staging areas and access to otherwise remote landscapes for fire control.

* Restoration in ecosystems where natural fire regimes have been altered due to fire exclusion, including restoring ecological processes, conditions, and resiliency to more closely reflect historic vegetative composition, structure, and habitat values.

The CalVTP does not support commercial timber harvest or development.

To further achieve wildfire resilience in California, the state continues to work with federal partners, including the U.S. Forest Service. The federal government owns nearly 58 percent of California’s forestlands. The state owns 3 percent, while 40 percent is privately held.

To protect public safety and ecology, experts agree 1 million acres of California forest and wildlands must be treated annually across jurisdictions. The federal government is working to match the state’s 500,000-acre annual treatment goals, though it has been hampered by years of federal budget and staffing cuts.

While the CalVTP is a critical tool to responsibly scale up vegetation treatment on state- and privately-owned land, efforts must simultaneously scale up on federal land.

Governor Newsom has made wildfire prevention and mitigation a top priority since taking office. The Governor included $1 billion in additional funding in the state budget to enhance our state’s preparedness and expand our capacity to respond to emergencies. The budget included funding for 13 new fire engines. He also:

* Invested $127.2 million to expand CAL FIRE’S fleet with C-130 air tankers and modified Black Hawk helicopters for nighttime firefighting operations,

* Signed an executive order authorizing the surge of almost 400 seasonal firefighters to CAL FIRE this year,

* Began overdue modernization of California’s 9-1-1 system, supporting local fire operations, including $2 million for the Butte County Fire Department to maintain its current level of service and continue operation of one year-round fire station through its cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE,

* Partnered with the federal government to secure state access to remote sensor-based technology to detect wildfire ignitions, including securing delegation of authority from the Secretary of Defense to fly infrared equipped Unmanned Aerial System in support of CAL FIRE missions,

* Invested $210 million Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for forest health and fire prevention projects and programs to enable CAL FIRE to complete more fuel reduction projects and increase the pace and scale of fire prevention,

* Developed and implemented the Forestry Corps Program, to operate four Forestry Corps crews that will undertake forest health and hazardous fuel reduction projects in areas of high fire risk.

* Signed AB 38 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), which develops best practices for community-wide resilience against wildfires through home hardening, defensible space, and other measures.

During his State of the State Address, the governor announced the creation of a strike force to develop a comprehensive strategy within 60 days to address the destabilizing effects of catastrophic wildfires on California’s energy future.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025
Feb. 22: Helen Hunt Jackson Returns to Rancho Camulos Reenactment
Experience Helen Hunt Jackson’s Jan. 23, 1882 visit to Rancho Camulos which inspired her to include this vestige of the Californio lifestyle as one of the settings for her novel Ramona.
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025
Weather Alert: Prepare For And Stay Safe During Rainy Weather
The National Weather Service has issued a high-risk alert for significant road flooding and burn scar debris flows in areas recently affected by fires.
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025
COC Foundation to Honor Marlee Lauffer with 2025 Silver Spur Award
The College of the Canyons Foundation has named Marlee Means Lauffer as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Silver Spur Community Service Award in recognition of her longtime support of the college and community service in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
Zignature, a Valencia based leader in meat-first, limited-ingredient dog food, recently launched its Employee Feed Alternative Giving Program.
Zignature Launches Employee Giving Program, Becomes Foundation’s First Sponsor
Experience Helen Hunt Jackson’s Jan. 23, 1882 visit to Rancho Camulos which inspired her to include this vestige of the Californio lifestyle as one of the settings for her novel Ramona.
Feb. 22: Helen Hunt Jackson Returns to Rancho Camulos Reenactment
The National Weather Service has issued a high-risk alert for significant road flooding and burn scar debris flows in areas recently affected by fires.
Weather Alert: Prepare For And Stay Safe During Rainy Weather
Connect with local business owners and industry leaders at 2025's second Business After Hours Mixer.
Feb. 19: Chamber Hosts After Hours Mixer at FastSigns Santa Clarita
The College of the Canyons Foundation has named Marlee Means Lauffer as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Silver Spur Community Service Award in recognition of her longtime support of the college and community service in the Santa Clarita Valley.
COC Foundation to Honor Marlee Lauffer with 2025 Silver Spur Award
After the significant challenges due to the Palisades, Eaton, Hughes and other wildfires in the region, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo is working to ensure access to the vital resources needed now and in the months to come.
Apply for Disaster CalFresh and Receive Food Assistance Before February 19
A one-stop rebuilding shop established by Los Angeles County to help Eaton Fire survivors’ recovery efforts opened its doors this week and is now serving the public. 
L.A. County One-Stop Rebuilding Shop Now Serving Eaton Fire Survivors
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the coziest way, bundled up at The Cube, Ice and Entertainment Center, Powered by FivePoint Valencia, for a romantic Sweetheart Skate.
Feb. 14: Glide Into Valentine’s Day Fun at The Cube’s Sweetheart Skate
Jersey Mike’s is hosting an all-day fundraiser, at all seven Santa Clarita Valley locations, for Carousel Ranch’s 11th Annual “Carousel Wishes & Valentine Kisses” Campaign.
Feb. 13: Jersey Mike’s All-Day Fundraiser for Carousel Ranch
The Master's University men's and women's golf teams began their spring season in the West Coast Classic, hosted by Lewis & Clark College at Victoria Club in Riverside Tuesday, Feb. 11. Both squads finished their respective tournaments in the middle of the pack, with the men's team finishing in sixth and the women's team finishing in fifth.
Mustangs Finish Mid-Pack to Begin Spring Season
The track and field teams for The Master's University stepped back on the line on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Sunshine Open Invitational in Santa Barbara. Multiple school records fell and qualifying times were hit in the Mustangs' second meet of the 2025 indoor season.
Mustangs Blaze Bright at Sunshine Open
College of the Canyons women's tennis began Western State Conference play by claiming its first victory, a 5-4 result over visiting Ventura College on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Cougar Courts.
Canyons Earns First Win, 5-4 over Ventura
1879 - Mint Canyon School District organized (merged into Sulphur Springs Union in 1944) [story]
Mint Canyon School
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reminding residents about the dangers associated with fire debris and issuing a Public Health Advisory for individuals residing within 250 yards of a burned structure or parcel within or near the Palisades and Eaton burn areas.
Public Health Advisory for Those Residing Near Burned Structures
The National Weather Service has issued a flash food watch for the Santa Clarita Valley on Thursday, Feb. 13. The watch is in effect from Thursday afternoon through Thursday night. Rain is expected throughout Southern California.
Feb. 13: NWS Issues Flash Flood Watch for SCV
The Master's University women's basketball team scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and held Benedictine Mesa to just 11 to come from behind and beat the Redhawks 70-58 Saturday, Feb. 8 in The MacArthur Center.
Big Fourth Quarter Gives Lady Mustangs the Win
The Santa Clarita Arts Commission Feb. 13 meeting agenda includes overviews of the 2026 Sidewalk Poetry project and city of Santa Clarita 2025 events schedule.
Feb. 13: Arts Commission Agenda Includes Sidewalk Poetry, City Events
The Master's University baseball team split a pair of games Friday, Feb. 7 with the Westcliff Warriors at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.
Mustangs Split Doubleheader with Warriors
College of the Canyons men's golf won a second straight conference tournament while seeing all five scoring players finish top-10 in the individual standings at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard on Monday, Feb. 10.
Canyons Wins Second Straight Conference Tourney
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station is looking for the individuals who committed a residential burglary in Stevenson Ranch.
Stevenson Ranch Burglary Suspects Sought
The Federal Food and Drug Administration has announced Tri-Union Seafoods in El Segundo has made the decision to voluntarily recall select lots of canned tuna products sold under the Genova brand name in California.
Tri-Union Seafoods Issues Recall of Canned Tuna Due to Botulism Risk
Officers from the county of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control will be conducting field animal licensing efforts in the unincorporated areas of Newhall (91381) in the Santa Clarita Valley beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Feb. 26: Unincorporated Area of Newhall Targeted for Pet Licensing
The city of Santa Clarita has announced the release of the third episode of Santa Clarita Voices, the city’s official podcast that highlights the stories, experiences and conversations from city leaders, businesses and organizations.
Santa Clarita Voices Podcast Episode Three Released by City
Parks California and California State Parks have announced grants to 31 organizations throughout California, including the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, totaling more than $1 million to improve access to state parks and create memorable nature experiences.
Parks Grant to Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
SCVNews.com