The last two years have been California’s most destructive fire seasons. Thirty-six people lost their lives, and more than 14,000 structures were destroyed or damaged. In addition, more than 7.3 million acres burned in California, which is larger than all of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties combined. To put it simply, California’s forest lands are in crisis. Climate change is part of the problem. … The lack of snowpack has allowed wildfires to burn longer and impact larger landscapes and communities.
-Written by Matt Dias, president and CEO of the California Forestry Association; and Julee Malinowski-Ball, executive director of the California Biomass Energy Alliance.