Deciding a state of emergency, Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended two Landmark State Environmental Acts on Saturday, promoting measures he said were necessary to protect the community from catastrophic wildfires.
Newsom will suspend the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act, and as a two-month anniversary of the Pallisard and Eaton fire approach, the state will prepare for the summer and fall fire seasons.
The California Environmental Quality Act, known as the CEQA, requires local and state agencies to identify and mitigate the environmental impact of work. The California Coastal Law implements regulations for coastal development and protection.
The governor’s move comes as Newsom sought nearly $40 billion in assistance from Congress to recover the fire, and President Trump and his allies attack the state’s wildfire management. After the big fire in January, Trump said California should do a better job of “covering the forest” to prevent fires. His critics pointed out that the state owns 3% while his federal government owns more than half of the state’s woodlands.
This month, President’s envoy for the Special Mission, Rick Grinnell, cited the California Coastal Commission, stating that there are “conditions” for federal aid to California.
The governor’s office said the legal move would allow for the removal of vegetation and trees, the creation of fuel damage, and prompt approval of larger planned fires for forest management.
In a statement, Newsom said the suspended regulations were part of his job: “cutting off the deficit and making historic investments.”
“We need to protect the communities that are most vulnerable to wildfire,” he said.
In January, Newsom relaxed the requirements for restructuring permission and reviews for both fire victims’ actions, and said that he “doesn’t give up” on state environmental rules, but “the delay is a denial.”
In 2019, Newsom declared emergency and suspended environmental regulations under the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Agency for Natural Resources to speed up fire prevention projects. The previous year, a camp fire exploded in Northern California, nearly destroying the town of paradise.
Source link
