California: Governor Newsom announces $30 million for regional wildfire prevention and landscape projects ahead of wildfire season

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May 13, 2026

Governor Newsom announces $30 million for regional wildfire prevention and landscape projects ahead of wildfire season

Funding will support land management partnerships protecting fire-prone regions across California

What you need to know: California is investing $30 million in new wildfire and landscape resilience projects at a regional level to improve the health of the state's diverse natural landscapes and reduce community wildfire risk.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of up to $30 million through the new Regional Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Grant Program. Research shows that every $1 spent on wildfire prevention saves $3.75, further underscoring the importance of proactive investments. These grants, supported by the Legislature, help communities prevent wildfires before they start, restore the health of forests and wildlands, improve public health, and reduce the risk of wildfire spreading into populated areas.

Trump has cut U.S. Forest Service wildfire landscape treatments by 1.5 million acres heading into fire season. As climate change makes fire seasons longer and more destructive, California is investing to protect our communities—improving the health of our forests, reducing wildlife risk, and arming our communities with the tools they need to prepare.

Governor Gavin Newsom

CAL FIRE launched the new Regional Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Grant Program with funding from the 2024 California Climate Bond (Proposition 4). Since 2019, CAL FIRE has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to projects across the state. Last year alone, Governor Newsom and the Legislature deployed $170 million in voter-approved Proposition 4 (Climate Bond) funding for wildfire resilience projects.

The program aims to accelerate large-scale forest and wildland treatments, build local capacity to do the work, improve landscape health and resilience, and reduce wildfire risk to communities. Projects can include landscape resilience treatments in forested and non-forested areas, clearing hazardous vegetation near homes and infrastructure, prescribed and cultural fire, pest management, reforestation and revegetation, biomass utilization, and maintenance of prior  resilience efforts.

According to new satellite estimates, more than 579,00 square miles of land have been burned worldwide over the last four months — fueling the world's worst-ever start to wildfire season.

"These collaboratives are uniquely positioned to identify the wildfire and landscape resilience needs within their regions," said CAL FIRE Deputy Director for Natural Resource Management Eric Huff. "Regional Grants empower these partnerships to implement projects at scale."

"These CAL FIRE grants will support investments where they matter most," said Patrick Wright, Director of the Governor's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. "They deliver on the Task Force's commitment to address California's highest risk areas at a regional scale."

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Strengthening regional wildfire resilience efforts

Regional Wildfire and Landscape Resilience grant projects, funded by the state's Climate Bond (Proposition 4), accelerate wildfire preparedness efforts and landscape health projects at scale to keep communities safe. Opportunities for projects may include activities like prescribed and cultural burns, removal of diseased, infested or vulnerable trees, and workforce endeavors to build local wildfire resilience capacity.

Following Governor Newsom's emergency proclamation on wildfire last March, state agencies have coordinated to cut red tape and fast-track critical wildfire safety projects across the state, all while maintaining vital environmental safeguards. The state has approved 383 projects across nearly 90,449 acres with hundreds more in review. Through this streamlined process, projects have been approved in as little as 30 days, saving a year or more of review and red tape for more complicated projects.

Hotter, drier conditions fueled by our changing climate are making wildfires more frequent and more destructive. The wildfire resilience projects funded by this program also help protect and stabilize forest carbon.

Recently, Governor Newsom announced $70 million for wildfire prevention and resilience projects to reduce wildfire risk, strengthen preparedness and help protect communities.

Recent resilience projects across California directly reduced wildfire risk, improved firefighter safety, and safeguarded communities.
  • Butte County, the recent Forest Health grants have funded treatments across more than 10,000 acres and helped protect the community of Cohasset during the 2024 Park Fire.
  • Siskiyou County, the Eastside Yreka Community Protection Project is reducing hazardous fuels across 410 acres near homes, evacuation routes, and critical infrastructure.
  • Alameda County, the Anthony Chabot Forest Fuels Enhancement Project is treating 556 acres near nearly 22,000 homes in a high-risk wildland-urban interface area.
  • San Bernardino County, the roadside fuel reduction work across 282 acres is improving evacuation routes and helping to protect more than 37,000 structures.

These projects all meet the goals and objectives of Governor Newsom's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, as well as the Strategic Fire Plan for California.

Get prepared for wildfire

Every Californian has a role to play in wildfire preparedness — here's how to get started:
  • Sign up for local emergency alerts to keep you and your loved ones informed at ready.ca.gov/alerts. When you sign up, you can choose how to get alerts sent to you, including cell phone, home phone, email, and text.
  • Check out Readyforwildfire.org, for wildfire preparedness tips like creating a wildfire action plan, how to create a defensible space, and expert advice to stay one step ahead of wildfires.
  • Visit Listos California for emergency preparedness resources in more than 15 languages, including indigenous Mexican languages. Tools available on Listos California can help you and your family prepare ahead of time for several types of emergencies, including wildfire and wildfire smoke.

Trump weakens wildfire preparedness while California continues to lead

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President Trump has made dramatic cuts to wildfire readiness across the United States and especially in rural and high-fire-risk California communities.
  • In the final year of the Biden administration, the Forest Service treated more than 4 million acres of hazardous vegetation to reduce wildfire risk. Under Trump, that number plummeted to 2.6 million — a drop of nearly 1.5 million acres heading into what experts are warning could be an extreme fire season.
  • Trump slashed prescribed burns by nearly half, dropping from over 1.6 million acres in 2024 to roughly 900,000 acres in 2025.
  • Trump has proposed eliminating annual block grants that support state, tribal, private landowner, and urban forestry programs, which is funding that directly supports wildfire prevention partners across California.
  • Trump is also turning his back on California communities trying to rebuild more resilient after wildfires. In April 2025, Trump cut a $35 million grant for Napa to reduce wildfire threats and build back more resilience after devastating fires. The Trump administration said the program was wasteful and ineffective. California is actively challenging the Trump administration to restore critical funds for the people of Napa, including 86 other California hazard mitigation projects (https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/fema-eliminating-hazard-mitigation-programs-leaving-americans-nationwide-risk-disasters).

Press releases (https://www.gov.ca.gov/category/press-releases/), Recent news (https://www.gov.ca.gov/category/recent-news/)

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