State of California - Natural Resources Agency

Memorandum

T0: Region Chiefs Date: September 27, 2016
Assistant Region Chiefs
Unit Chiefs Telephone: (916) 653-7772
Contract County Chiefs
Deputy Director, Fire Protection Programs Website: 

Deputy Director, Resource Management
Acting State Fire Marshal

Qra/Qxee

From: KEN Director
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)

Subject: Mandatory Fuels Reduction Targets and Activity Reporting

Climate change has impacted California significantly in recent decades. The average
temperature is increasing, weather patterns are changing, and a migration of vegetation
types is occurring. This comes after a century of fire suppression, inadequate fuels
treatment, and an increase in wildland urban interface. The addition of five years of
persistent drought and the tree mortality epidemic have exacerbated the situation,
resulting in the increasing number and complexity of fires. We are averaging 25% more
fires than the five?year average and have experienced two of the top 10 most damaging
fires in the State?s history within the last year.

To help mitigate this increased threat of wildfire, the Administration has invested in staffing
and resources above our base level of funding for the last three years. These resources
are directed at fire prevention, fuels treatment and fire protection activities, and include
additional defensible space inspectors, staffing 87 engines year-round and extending
transitional staffing earlier and later in the calendar year.

Our first priority is to train and be prepared to respond to the fire threat throughout the
State. Following that, our primary focus will be to implement fire prevention and fuels
treatment activities as guided by the 2010 Strategic Fire Plan and individual Unit Fire

Plans.

In order to emphasize fire prevention and fuels treatment activities for the current fiscal
year, beginning in July 2016, I am directing CAL FIRE Units and the Contract Counties to
achieve the following targets on State Responsibility Area lands:

. 20,000 acres of broadcast prescribed burning

0 15,000 acres of fuels treatment, including chipping, thinning, pile burning, fuel
breaks, etc.

0 250,000 annual defensible space inspections

?The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. 

Mandatory Fuels Reduction and Reporting
September 27, 2016
Page Two

These targets are meant to be aggressive in order to challenge ourselves to increase the
pace and scale of treatment on the landscape, and make real and measurable impacts to
the fire threat. The specific Unit and Contract County targets will be established by the
appropriate Region Chief. We need to lead the way and set the example for others to
follow.

Retroactive to July 1, 2016, and going forward, all fuels treatment projects will be
documented through the process an_d recorded in The process for
documenting these efforts is attached. All defensible space inspection activity will be
reported While I realize this is an additional workload, an accurate accounting
and description of our activities is essential in order to prioritize funding needs and share
our successes with the Legislature, the Administration and the public we serve.

Attachments

cc: Chief Deputy Director
Deputy Director, Management Services
Deputy Director, Communications
Deputy Director, Legislation