Wildfire County Coordinator Program.

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on the funding amounts or which counties will participate.

Wildfire County Coordinator Program

This law sets up a program to help counties in California plan for and prevent wildfires by providing them with tools and guidance.

What This Bill Does

• Develops guidelines for using wildfire risk analysis tools.
• Creates resources to assist in assessing wildfire risks at the county level.
• Supports updating or creating county-level wildfire risk assessments.
• Maintains oversight of the Wildfire County Coordinator Program.
• Provides templates and guidance for making county-level plans to prevent wildfires.

Who It Names or Affects

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

Terms To Know

Wildfire risk modeling

Using computer tools to predict where and how wildfires might start or spread.

Defensible space

An area around buildings that is kept clear of flammable materials to reduce the chance of a wildfire reaching them.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much funding will be provided for these programs.
• It's unclear which counties will participate in this program.
• There are no details on how data collected by the program will be used or shared.

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
guidance
for
the use of available
wildfire risk modeling and analysis
tools,
tools by organizations, as specified,
(2) develop guidance and tools related to wildfire risk assessments, (3) support the development, updating, or procurement of county-level wildfire risk assessments,
(4) maintain oversight authority for the Wildfire County Coordinator Program, as provided,
and
(4)
(5)
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 and collect data on local mitigation and preparedness activities, outcomes, and costs, as provided.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF