California to devote $536 million in fight against devastating wildfires

California will authorize $536 million toward forest management projects and efforts to reduce wildfires before the worst of the fire season strikes later this year, Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders said Thursday. That more than doubles $200 million in recent annual spending, advocates said, and wildfire preparedness grants were dropped entirely last year when the state prematurely anticipated a pandemic-driven budget shortfall.

Armed now with an unexpected multibillion-dollar surplus, lawmakers plan to add the money to this fiscal year's budget before considering even more in the new spending plan that takes effect July 1. Newsom said lawmakers "wanted to move forward more aggressively" to immediately allocate more than half the $1 billion that he had sought to spend starting in the second half of the year. That will "get these projects moving ... so we're prepared for this upcoming wildfire season."