November 3, 2017 President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump: As you develop your Administration?s request to Congress for additional disaster funding, we ask that you include $7.4 billion to help California recover from last month?s devastating wild?res that killed 43 people and destroyed approximately 8,800 residential and commercial structures. On October 8, 2017, ?re?ghters began battling multiple wild?res throughout California, prompting one of the deadliest and most destructive ?re events in California history. California Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed a State of Emergency and requested a Presidential Maj or Disaster Declaration on Monday, October 9, 2017. In less than 24 hours, you declared a Maj or Disaster Declaration (FEMA that was announced by Vice President Mike Pence at the Governor?s Of?ce of Emergency Services? State Operations Center. Mutual aid resources continued to pour into California to assist ?re?ghting crews, which consisted of 11,000 ?re?ghters and nearly 500 law enforcement personnel. Suppression efforts included more than 1,000 ?re engines, over 30 air tankers and 73 helicopters, and 177 ?re engines from Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. Nearly 245,000 acres (over 350 square miles) were burned, causing 43 fatalities, destroying approximately 8,800 commercial and residential structures, and requiring the evacuation of 100,000 people. California is the most populous US. state and the sixth largest economy in the world, with nearly 40 million residents, 109 federally-recognized tribal nations, 58 counties and a gross state product of approximately $2.5 trillion. The ?res directly impacted eight counties and three Tribal Nations. The full economic impact to the agricultural, tourism, hospitality, and wine industries is still not known. Nine California wineries were destroyed and 21 were damaged in the Nation?s most prominent winemaking region. State and local governments in California are still in the early stages of recovery from this disaster and are still assessing damages and impacts. However, the Governor?s Of?ce has worked with the affected counties and communities to determine that $7.4 billion in federal funding is needed as of October 28, 2017 to help California recover. Thank you for your consideration of our request. As we work on the immediate need for a third disaster supplemental responding to the wild?res in California, we look forward to working with you to ensure that all Americans who have been severely impacted by recent natural disasters across the United States receive the federal support they need and deserve. Sincerely, 9 dicta/3m? Jerry Brown Dianne Feinstein amala D. Harris Governor of Calif ia United States Senator United States Senator mm Mike Thompson J?fmanl 1 Democratic Leader US. Representative US. Representative I MGaramendi Ed Royce .8. Representative US. Representative Ami Bera, MD. iJulia Brow U.S. Representative U.S. Representative alu 0. Cafbg Chu U.S. Representative U.S. Representative Jim sta U.S. Representative - nna G. Eshoo U.S. Representative . 2% Mark DeSaulnier R0 Khanna U.S. Representative U.S. Representative [7 c: 710/ 71/ arbara Lee Ted W. Lieu U.S. Representative U.S. Representative 20 ofgren Doris Matsui U.S. Representative U.S. Representative . McNerney race F. Napoli ano U.S. Representative U.S. Representative utt/ anetta . presentative My?. Adam Schiff U.S. Representati Eric 'Swalwell U.S. Representative ?Ma/w? Brad Sherman U.S. Representative 71M 13% 73% Nanette Diaz Barrag?n U.S. Representative ?ak J. Luis Correa U.S. Representative Juan Vargas U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard U.S. Representative .8. Representative NWQW Norma J. Torres U.S. Representative Mark Takano U.S. Representative MW Alan Lowenthal U.S. Representative Pete Aguilar U.S. Representative Susan Davis U.S. Representative ?an/M Mam Cardenas US. Representative US. Representative Karen Jass US. Representative tt Peters Rang-gum U-S- Representative US. Representative Enclosure: Breakdown of Supplemental Funding Request by Federal Agency cc: The Honorable Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Of?ce of Management and Budget Breakdown of Supplemental Funding Request by Federal Agency Federal Emergency Management Agency: $1.4 billion A supplemental appropriation is requested to again increase the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s Disaster Relief and Community Development Funds. The Federal Emergency Management Agency partnered with the State and local governments beginning on October 9, the day the ?res began, and since then. has continuously disbursed Individual Assistance programs to the affected communities, and has provided Categories A and for Public Assistance Emergency Work. Given the wide scale of damage and destruction to publicly- owned facilities, it is anticipated that California will receive a federal declaration allowing for Public Assistance Categories through G, which will provide Permanent Work funding for roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities, parks, and recreational and other facilities. Additionally, this appropriation is requested to robustly fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s Hazard Mitigation program, which provides essential assistance to state and local communities in reducing the risk of damage to people, property, and infrastructure in future disasters. Robust funding for the Disaster Relief Fund will also ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency can continue to meet its obligations from previous natural disasters without jeopardizing its ability to respond to future events. US. Environmental Protection Agency and US. Coast Guard: $75 million In conjunction with the US. Coast Guard, the US. Environmental Protection Agency is tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to perform hazardous household waste removal in Napa and Sonoma counties. An additional appropriation of $75 million is requested to expedite the process for removing batteries, ?ammable liquids, paint, asbestos siding, and pipe insulation. from burned homes. An expedited and deliberate household hazardous waste removal process must occur before any debris removal, and ultimately home rebuilding, can take place for the 589 destroyed residences in Napa County and 5,088 destroyed residences in Sonoma County. Household hazardous waste poses a serious threat to health and safety of people and the environment in the area, and the US. Environmental Protection Agency and the US. Coast Guard are essential in eliminating these materials. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: $500 million The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to perform debris removal in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. Cumulatively, there were 6,096 residences destroyed in these four counties. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct vital cleanup of wild?re debris following the cleanup of hazardous household materials, which will allow these communities to begin rebuilding homes, businesses, and schools. We ask that you request sufficient funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that the Army Corps has the resources it needs to expeditiously perform debris removal. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: $25 million California requests additional funding for state and local health and human services agencies, in addition to medical and community care facilities, which experienced signi?cant damages, and in some cases, were forced to evacuate hundreds of vulnerable patients and clients in order to ?ee from the rapidly? moving fires. California has also submitted an 1135 Waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services seeking various ?exibilities to facilitate and maintain access to services for Medicaid and Children?s Health Insurance Program bene?ciaries affected by the ?res. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: billion Additional funding of $1 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is requested in order to meet the projected need to reconstruct destroyed homes, communities, and infrastructure due to the recent wild?res in the affected counties. There are 8,800 structures destroyed, including an estimated 6,000 homes in areas with pre-fire vacancy rates of only Additionally, some schools and businesses have been destroyed. Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds are only available through a Congressional appropriation and must be used only for speci?c disaster recovery?related purposes. U.S. Department of Labor: $40 million The impact of the ?res has resulted in the loss of jobs, and displaced workers. Currently, California has received almost 5,000 Disaster Unemployment Claims, and claims are expected to increase. In order to respond to the immediate and short?term employment needs of displaced workers in the impacted areas, the Employment Development Department is pursuing a National Dislocated Worker Grant to implement a temporary jobs program. National Dislocated Worker Grants are discretionary grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The National Dislocated Worker Grant funding is distributed by the Employment Development Department to Local Workforce Development Areas and/or Project Operators in the impacted areas. Workers ?ll temporary jobs that not only assist various clean-up and repair projects on public and tribal lands, but also enhance their employability and earnings. The g1 ant funds will provide short? term employment for approximately 2, 000 participants. U.S. Department of Transportation: $25 million We ask that Congress provide additional funding towards the U.S. Department of Transportation?s Emergency Relief Program, the Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program, and other programs that can provide immediate assistance and resources to rebuild California?s roadways impacted by this wild?re event. U.S. Department of Defense: $10 million The California National Guard provided continual support of the ?re?ghting efforts with more than 2,000 soldiers and airmen deployed, including a 500?person infantry from Southern California. California National Guard and the Nevada National Guard were also heavily involved in the air suppression efforts with 23 aircraft offering support via ?re?ghting, damage assessment, ?re mapping, and transportation; and dropped more than 800,000 gallons of water/retardant. The California National Guard also continues to provide security and additional surge capacity to various shelters and municipal facilities. California requests that the Department of Defense fund the California National Guard in order to maintain operational readiness and continued support of California?s natural disasters. Department of Commerce: $750 million The Department of Commerce?s Economic Development Administration plays a crucial role in facilitating the delivery of economic assistance to local. governments for long~term recovery planning, reconstruction, and resiliency in response to presidentially declared disasters of emergencies. The Economic Development Administration grants emphasize disaster resiliency to help mitigate the potential or economic hardship as a result of future wild?res. The wild?res had a devastating impact on California?s local governments in the most prominent wine producing region in the nation. California is America?s number one wine state and the fourth largest producer in the world. California?s wine industry accounts for $57.6 billion in state and $114 billion in national economic impact, and generates $15.2 billion in state and federal taxes annually. Funding an additional $700 million in economic assistance is necessary to support the long-term recovery planning, reconstruction, and resiliency for California?s local businesses, nonpro?t organizations, wine growers, and other impacted industries. The wild?res ?res have also caused signi?cant, widespread damage to California?s watersheds. Increased funding for the Paci?c Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund is needed to perform immediate stream restoration work caused by the ?res and to invest in the local economy. The program is essential to preventing the extinction of the 28 listed salmon and steelhead species on the West Coast and, in many cases, has stabilized the populations and contributed to their recovery. Federal funding is leveraged from investments by western states and tribes. Collectively, these investments have signi?cant impacts on local economies and support local job development. Since 2000, California has received $225 million and the program averages $76 million annually across the West. We anticipate an emergency infusion of $50 million for the Paci?c Coastal. Salmon Recovery Fund will be required to recover from the Northern California ?res alone. Small Business Administration: $50 million Given that these ?res occurred in one of the most economically vibrant regions for the agricultural, winery, hospitality, and tourism industries, an appropriation of $50 million is requested for the Small Business Administration, which provides low?interest, long-term loans for physical and economic damage caused by disasters that have received a Maj or Disaster Declaration. US. Department of Education: $400 million This series of wild?res closed 652 public and private schools, destroyed three schools, damaged ?ve, and displaced 290,785 students. The US. Department of Education?s primary role in natural disasters is to assist school districts and institutions of higher education in their recovery efforts and work to understand the extent of the damage to educational infrastructure and impacts to staf?ng and the student learning environment. The Department's interagency work will inform and enhance the resources and relief available to school districts and institutions of higher education to address school expenses including student counseling services, temporary school facilities, lost school supplies, such as textbooks, technology, student supplies, infrastructure rebuild, and extended and/or emergency staf?ng. Department of Agriculture: $3.1 billion California leads the nation in agricultural production and exports. California?s top 20 cr0p and livestock commodities accounted for more than $35.5 billion in value in 2015. Over a third of the country's vegetables and two-?thirds of the country's fruits and nuts are grown in California. California ranks seventh in the nation for the production of cattle, and produces the most milk and cream in the country. The wild?res have caused signi?cant damage to farmland, rangeland, and. watersheds, and the agricultural. impact of these ?res is estimated to be in excess of $3 billion. The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is designed to meet the temporary nutritional needs of disaster victims within a 30-day period following a natural disaster such as a ?ood, ?re, earthquake or any other natural disaster, provides a month?s worth of bene?ts on an Electronic Bene?t Transfer (EBT) card which. can be used to purchase food at authorized retail stores. California estimates that 2,000 hoUseholds will apply for these bene?ts, and that 3,500 current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households may apply for disaster supplements in the seven impacted counties. California requests that $2.5 million be appropriated for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. At the peak of this event, the counties included in the President?s Maj or Disaster Declaration experienced 21 fires burning simultaneously. In support of these ?res, the US. Forest Service activated their entire nationwide ?eet of 20 air tankers to the ?re?ght in California, as well as US. Forest Service personnel and engines. In total, there were 11,000 ?re?ghters working on extinguishing these tires, with 1,096 engines deployed. A signi?cant appropriation is requested to restore the US. Forest Service funding. Funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Emergency Watershed Protection Program and Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Programs will provide post??re restoration work on agricultural land in California, in addition to critical watershed restoration and repairs. In FY 2016, the program was funded at $215 million nationwide and routinely has a funding backlog. This program is essential to rehabilitate farmland and reduce longer-term agricultural production declines associated with the catastrophic fires. Overall, an additional $100 million would allow the US. Department of Agriculture to fund emergency rebuilding and restoratiOn projects for the watershed, rivers, and waterways impacted by the ?res, such as the Russian and Napa rivers, and other navigable waterways, as well provide assistance to California agricultural communities. We are requesting a substantial increase for the Disaster Assistance Programs to help sustain the agricultural industry and recover the significant losses sustained from the fires. We request an increase in borrowing authority for the Commodity Credit Corporation to ensure critical Tree Assistance Program. (TAP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) assistance is available. We also request additional ?exibility for the Secretary to use and Section 32 funds for disaster relief and recovery where traditional disaster programs and authorities are inadequate, including for particularly hard hit crops like grapes, and for a diverse suite of specialty crops including greenhouse and nursery products.