On Thursday morning, Santa Clarita Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez Valladares’ bill aimed to prevent wildfires passed through the Assembly floor and is now on it’s way to the Senate. 

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare and certify an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out. Existing law exempts actions of fuel reduction or forest thinning on federal lands from these CEQA requirements in an effort to promote wildfire prevention. 

The bill, AB 267, would extend this exemption to January 1, 2026, allowing for federal property to continue with fire prevention projects in high risk areas.   

“Our community is particularly vulnerable to wildfires because we are so close to the Angeles National Forest and the Los Padres National Forest.,” Valladares said. “And because these forests are owned by the federal government, California needs to coordinate with them to improve our wildfire resistance.

See Related: Santa Clarita Brush Fire Breaks Out Near Pitchess Detention Center

The bill was presented to the assembly just as the North Fire in Valencia and Castaic prompted responses from firefighters and mandatory evacuations in the area Wednesday evening. The fire is 25 percent contained at 640 acres as of Thursday afternoon. 

“Seemingly out of nowhere, the North Fire threatened homes, forced evacuations, and triggered road closures in the Castaic and Valencia areas. This is something that almost every single one of us has experienced directly,” said Valladares. 

To find out more about the bill, click here.

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