Wildfire County Coordinator Program.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how much funding will be allocated after the initial $9,500,000.

Wildfire County Coordinator Program

This law sets up a program to help counties work together to prevent wildfires and make communities safer.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes recommended standards for wildfire risk modeling and analysis tools.
• Develops guidance and tools related to wildfire risk assessments.
• Supports the development, updating, or procurement of county-level wildfire risk assessments.
• Develops guidance and templates for creating or revising county-level wildfire resilience prioritization and implementation plans.
• Requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to enter into an agreement with the California Fire Safe Council to administer and deliver the program.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• California Fire Safe Council
• Counties in California

Terms To Know

Wildfire risk modeling

Using tools to predict where wildfires might start or spread.

Defensible space

An area around buildings that is kept clear of flammable materials to protect against wildfires.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much money will be given for the program after its initial funding.
• It's unclear if all counties in California will participate in this program.

Official Summary Text

SB 973, as amended, Becker.
Wildfire County Coordinator Program.
Existing law establishes the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force and requires the task force to develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to track and ensure the achievement of the goals and key actions identified in the state’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, as provided. Existing law requires, on or before March 1, 2026, and every 5 years thereafter, the task force to update the action plan.
The Budget Act of 2025 provided for a community hardening program in the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection that includes home hardening certification and a wildfire county coordinator program, appropriated $9,500,000 to the department to make available to the California Fire Safe Council for the Wildfire County Coordinator Program, and required the county coordinators to prioritize home hardening, defensible space,
planning, and education for community-level wildfire mitigation efforts.
This bill would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to (1) establish recommended standards for wildfire risk modeling and analysis tools, (2) develop guidance and tools related to wildfire risk assessments, (3) support the development, updating, or procurement of county-level wildfire risk assessments, and (4) develop guidance and templates for the creation or revision of county-level wildfire resilience prioritization and implementation plans, and accompanying guidance for integrating these plans with related wildfire resilience programs, as provided.
This bill would provide in code for the Wildfire County Coordinator Program to support county-level coordination of and capacity for wildfire mitigation, prevention, preparedness, and recovery activities, as specified. The bill would require the department to enter into an agreement
with the California Fire Safe Council to administer and deliver the program. The bill would require the program to, among other things, establish capacity in participating counties to plan and execute specified activities in support of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, coordinate with specified state and local entities, and collect data on local mitigation and preparedness activities, outcomes, and costs, as provided.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF