Aguiar-Curry’s Bill to Reduce Forest Waste, Wildfire Risk Signed into Law

Contact: Gibson Martucci, gibson.martucci@asm.ca.gov, 916-319-3104

(SACRAMENTO, CA) — Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) announced today that Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 706 (AB 706), the Forest Organic Residue, Energy, and Safety Transformation (FOREST) and Wildfire Prevention Fund Act. In a state where devastating wildfires have become an annual threat, the new law creates a pathway for California to better manage and put to use the forest biomass generated through wildfire prevention and forest health projects.

“AB 706 is about doing the right thing with the forest fuels we’re removing to protect our communities. We’re making our forests safer, and we need to make sure we have a good plan for what happens to all that material once it’s out of the woods.” said Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry, the bill’s author.

AB 706 establishes the FOREST and Wildfire Prevention Fund to support the state’s fire fuel reduction procurement program and the beneficial use of biomass generated through wildfire prevention efforts. Using biomass for energy will help reduce pollution compared with open burning and make better use of materials already being removed from California’s forests. AB 706 does not require any new bioenergy procurement and does not impose costs on California energy ratepayers.

“California has made real progress in wildfire prevention, forest health, and post-fire recovery, but biomass utilization has remained a missing piece of that strategy. Now that Governor Newsom has signed AB 706 into law, the state can finally begin to close that gap,” said President and CEO Matt Dias, California Forestry Association (Calforests). “We have forestland owners and forestland managers ready to put that woody material to productive use.”

California’s forests cover nearly one-third of the state and face growing threats from catastrophic wildfires, drought, and invasive species. As the state works to reduce wildfire risk and restore healthier forests, those efforts are expected to generate 10 to 15 million tons of biomass each year. But California does not have enough infrastructure to put that material to productive use.

“When we clear out forest fuels to protect our communities, we need to have a good plan for what happens to that material,” said Aguiar-Curry. “AB 706 helps us put that biomass to good use, cut pollution, and keep our forests healthier and safer—without California ratepayers having to foot the bill.”

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry represents California’s 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake, Colusa, Napa, and Yolo Counties, and part of Sonoma County. She serves as the Assembly Majority Leader and Chair of the California Women’s Legislative Caucus.