vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
The 2024-25 Budget: CalFire—Implementation of a 66-Hour Workweek
The costs of the proposal would increase in the coming years as CalFire phases in the changes, rising to $770 million ($756 million General Fund) on an ongoing annual basis and 2,457 permanent positions by 2028‑29. 
Prioritizing firefighters’ health and welfare is a worthwhile goal, and pursuing this outcome through the concept of reducing firefighters’ workweek was a reasonable step for the Legislature to take when it approved the MOU in September 2022. However, both the cost of adopting a 66‑hour workweek and the extent of the state’s revenue shortfall still were unknown at that time. The magnitude of the proposal the administration has now presented to the Legislature shows that it would create a substantial new ongoing General Fund commitment. This proposal comes at a time when the state faces a large, ongoing budget problem. As such, the Legislature faces a key decision as to whether or not implementing the proposal is affordable given the state’s current fiscal condition. 
If the Legislature is not certain that the General Fund can sustain the proposal right now, we recommend that it not move forward with funding the change as part of the 2024‑25 budget. Deferring implementation would provide the Legislature with greater flexibility in the future to determine its preferred course of action in light of potentially evolving budget conditions, while still sustaining its long‑term commitment to improving the health and wellness of the state’s firefighters. We also offer suggestions for interim, less costly steps the Legislature could consider taking to support firefighters if it were to delay implementation of the workweek change. If, however, the Legislature wants to prioritize General Fund for implementing this change beginning in 2024‑25, we recommend it add reporting language to help ensure that the proposal maximizes the potential for associated wildfire resilience‑related co‑benefits.
Background
CalFire’s Main Responsibilities
CalFire Has Responsibilities for Fire Response and Resource Management. CalFire has primary responsibility for wildland fire response in State Responsibility Areas, which are mostly privately owned wildlands that encompass about one‑third of the acreage of the state. The federal government is responsible for wildland fire response on federal lands.
Vegetation Management Program | CAL FIRE
Fuel breaks provide opportunities for firefighting success under less extreme fire weather conditions by providing areas of lower fireline intensities, improved firefighter access, and enhanced fireline production rates.

 VMP Program Background


 The goal of the Vegetation Management Program is to reduce the chance of large, damaging wildfires by reducing fire hazards on wildland in California.  The Departments' intent is to realize the best 'mix' of natural resource benefits from these lands, consistent with environmental protection and landowner/steward objectives. This includes three broad goals, which encompass most vegetation.
 


 About
 

The Vegetation Management Program is derived from Senate Bill 1704, authored by then Senator Barry Keene, and ultimately signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on July 16, 1980.  The original legislation established the basic processes and procedures consistent with the need to manage chaparral-covered and associated lands within California.  The laws enacted in support of this program are found in Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Chapter 9.8 Chaparral Management, Sections 1560 to 1569.6. The program is further defined in the Public Resources Code Sections 4461 to 4473, 4475 to 4480 and 4491 to 4494.
VMP allows private landowners to enter into a contract with CAL FIRE to use prescribed fire to accomplish a combination of fire protection and resource management goals. Implementation of VMP projects is by CAL FIRE Units. The projects which fit within a unit's priority areas (e.g., those identified through the Fire Plan) and are considered to be of most value to the unit are those that will be completed. The Vegetation Management Program has been in existence since 1982 and has averaged approximately 25,000 acres per year since its inception.


 Management Objectives
 

Reduction of conflagration fires.
Optimization of soil and water productivity.
Protection and improvement of intrinsic floral and faunal values.


 Sub Goals
 

Reduce the number and intensity of large, damaging wildfires with corresponding savings of suppression costs.
Increase public safety.
Increase water quantity and maintain water quality from managed watersheds.
Decrease the potential for damage from flooding and siltation.
Protect and improve soil productivity, and decrease erosion over the long term.
Improve wildlife and fisheries habitat.
2023 Fire Season Incident Archive | CAL FIRE
100% 

Panoche Fire

Fresno
6/03/2023

65 


 100% 

Orange Fire

Fresno
6/01/2023

108 


 100% 

Sicard Fire

Yuba
5/30/2023

13 


 100% 

Pistol Fire

Fresno
5/30/2023

123 


 100% 

Ramona Fire

Riverside
5/22/2023

348 


 100% 

Point Fire

Shasta
5/21/2023

10 


 100% 

Johnson Fire

Riverside
5/20/2023

66 Fire

Riverside
5/15/2023

127 


 100% 

Nob Fire

San Bernardino
4/26/2023

External Incident Link


 The information presented here reflects what is known to CAL FIRE and is updated frequently.
 Learn more about data processing

2023 Fire Year
The 2023 fire season in California, marked by proactive management and favorable weather conditions, saw a substantial decrease in both the number of wildfires and the total acreage burned, compared to the 5-year average. The total acreage burned was remarkably lower, with approximately 325,000 acres affected, significantly less than the 5-year average of over 2,300,000 acres.
Notable fires included the Emerald Fire in Mendocino County, which despite its rapid spread, was contained effectively without major structural damages or casualties. The efforts of CAL FIRE, coupled with improved resource management and community preparedness, played a key role in mitigating the impact of wildfires throughout the state. Additionally, the widespread adoption of preventive measures, such as controlled burns and vegetation management, contributed to the overall reduction in fire severity and scale. This year serves as a testament to the effectiveness of strategic planning and collaborative efforts in wildfire management.

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Planning for a Changing Landscape

More extreme wildfires, drought, Sea Level Rise, and other effects of climate change are impacting state parks. These complex challenges call for interdisciplinary and creative approaches to build sustainable and resilient solutions. State Parks has been strategically and creatively working to help manage California’s natural and cultural resources and update facilities to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Here are some examples of what State Parks is doing to protect against climate change:

State Parks Wildfire and Forest Resilience Program: State Parks has been working across the state to better protect California’s State Park System from extreme wildfires like those experienced in recent years. Through the State Parks Wildfire and Forest Resilience Program, park districts have been busy using prescribed fires, also known as prescribed burns, to restore health to ecosystems that naturally depend on fire. This program also helps prepare park facilities and operations for wildland fires. Read about State Parks’ prescribed burns efforts.
Vegetation Management Program | CAL FIRE
Optimization of soil and water productivity.
Protection and improvement of intrinsic floral and faunal values.


 Sub Goals
 

Reduce the number and intensity of large, damaging wildfires with corresponding savings of suppression costs.
Increase public safety.
Increase water quantity and maintain water quality from managed watersheds.
Decrease the potential for damage from flooding and siltation.
Protect and improve soil productivity, and decrease erosion over the long term.
Improve wildlife and fisheries habitat.
Improve oak woodlands through fire management and regeneration.
Establish and maintain desired plant communities.
Propagate rare or endangered species of plants, which are fire dependent.
Improve air quality over the long term.
Improve forage and browse for livestock.
Increase opportunities for recreation and improve scenic vistas.
Decrease the risk to firefighters and other responders during wildland fires.
Provide training opportunities for personnel in incident organization, operations, fire behavior, firing methods and effects of weather influences.


 Fuel Treatments
 

The wildlands of California are naturally fire prone.  Past land and fire management practices have had the effect of increasing the intensity, rate of spread, as well as the annual acreage burned on these lands.  While most of the natural communities of plants and animals have adapted to natural fire conditions, these natural communities are now at risk from catastrophic wildfire primarily due to the hazardous fuel conditions.  Also at risk are the communities that interface with these wildlands, including those within wildland-urban interface (WUI) and rural areas.  Strategic management and control of wildland vegetation is essential to the safety, health, recreational, and economic wellbeing of California's citizens.
Hazardous fuels are live and dead vegetation that has accumulated and increases the likelihood of unusually large wildland fires.  When fire encounters areas of heavy fuel loads (continuous brush, downed vegetation or small trees) it can burn these surface and ladder fuels and may quickly move from a ground fire into a crown fire.
Hazardous fuel reduction generally requires the reduction of surface and ladder fuels. It may also require thinning out dense tree stands, preserving mature sized trees. It can be accomplished using fire, biological methods, chemical and/or mechanical treatments to remove or modify fuels in wildland areas.
Smoke and Fire in British Columbia
Smoke and Fire in British Columbia

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Smoke and Fire in British Columbia

May 11, 2024JPEG

Following Canada’s extreme wildland fire season in 2023, unusually early and intense blazes are already raging in 2024. Though wildfire activity does not typically become widespread or intense in British Columbia until several weeks later in the summer, smoke already smothered parts of the western Canadian province in mid-May.
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image (above) of smoke billowing from several fires around the community of Fort Nelson and streaming east into Alberta on May 11, 2024. Terra and other NASA satellites observed the plume as it was lofted several kilometers into the air and spread eastward. The smoke drifted, at times, into parts of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States, triggering air quality concerns in several states.
One of the most menacing fires burned southeast of Fort Nelson and a nearby First Nation community, home to a combined 3,400 people. The fire grew rapidly after igniting on May 10, exacerbated by dry conditions and high winds from a passing cold front. Canadian authorities issued evacuation orders for both communities later that day.
All-Hazard Response | CAL FIRE
Emergency Management

CAL FIRE’s organizational culture is built upon a total force concept, in which every employee in the Department, regardless of assigned role, plays an integral part in emergency response, public safety, resource management, watershed protection, and meeting the Department’s mission and goals. We work within the well-established Incident Command System (ICS) framework and manage any disaster event through four phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.

Incident Command Response

As a leader in major incident command response, CAL FIRE is often asked to assist or take the lead in other major disasters, including the 2003 and 2007 Southern California fire sieges; the N1H1 pandemic in 2009; the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion; the 2017 Oroville Dam disaster; the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County; the fire siege and COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020; and the winter storms of 2023. CAL FIRE is a leader in disaster response emergencies and is ready to answer the call. 

We Train For

Search and Rescue

Search and rescues operations seek to locate, stabilize, and extract individuals in dangerous and remote conditions. 

Automobile Accidents


We respond to thousands of vehicle accidents each year and are trained in extrication and on-scene medical aid. 

Structure Fires

CAL FIRE supports local firefighting authorities to extinguish structure fires. 

Wildland Fire Response

Each year, CAL FIRE responds to thousands of wildland fires that burn an average of a million acres. 

Emergency Medical Response


CAL FIRE paramedics are often the first on scene at medical emergencies of all kinds.  

Swift Water Rescue

Teams are trained to pull people from swift water, which often flows faster after storms and heavy rains. 

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The 2024-25 Budget: CalFire—Implementation of a 66-Hour Workweek
As discussed previously, these wildfires have placed significant strains on the state’s firefighters, many of whom have been asked to work for extended periods with few breaks. These long periods of work have been difficult for firefighters as well as for their families. By switching from a 72‑hour workweek to a 66‑hour workweek, the typical schedule for a firefighter would include roughly one fewer 24‑hour shift per month than is currently the case. This, in turn, could provide some additional time off for firefighters, thus helping to address the legitimate concerns about fatigue that have resulted from these recent wildfire seasons. In adopting the Unit 8 MOU, along with the various other actions it has taken in recent years to address concerns about the health and wellness of firefighters, the Legislature has demonstrated that it prioritizes this issue. 
Legislature Faces Decision About Whether Proposal Is Affordable
Prioritizing firefighters’ health and welfare through the concept of reducing their workweek was a reasonable step for the Legislature to take in September 2022. However, at the time that the Legislature approved the current Unit 8 MOU, both the cost of adopting a 66‑hour workweek and the extent of the state’s revenue shortfall still were unknown. The magnitude of the proposal the administration has now presented to the Legislature shows that it would create a substantial new ongoing General Fund commitment. This proposal comes at a time when the state faces a large, ongoing budget problem. As such, the Legislature faces a key decision as to whether or not implementing the change in the workweek is affordable given the state’s current fiscal condition. We discuss these issues in further detail below.
Legislature Did Not Have Information About Cost Implications When It Considered MOU. When the administration submits an MOU to the Legislature for consideration, it typically prepares an estimate of the associated costs. In the case of the Unit 8 MOU, however, the administration’s cost estimate did not include the costs of the 66‑hour workweek provision for a couple of reasons. First, the workweek change would not be implemented until after the expiration of the MOU and the administration’s estimate only included costs for activities occurring during the term of the MOU.
Forest Inventory and Analysis | CAL FIRE
FOREST INVENTORY & ANALYSIS IN CALIFORNIA

In California, the annual inventory FIA program is managed by the US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station Resource Monitoring and Assessment.  The annual FIA inventory in California samples approximately 10% of the FIA plots in California each year, or 100% of the plots over a 10-year period.  The first annual inventory measurement cycle in California was completed in 2010.  The period 2011 – 2020 represented the first cycle of annual inventory re-measurement in California.  In 2021, at the beginning of the second cycle of annual inventory, the FIA program will sample approximately 20% of the FIA plots in California each year, effectively accelerating the rate of FIA data collection conducted in the state two-fold and drawing the re-measurement period down from a 10-year cycle to a 5-year cycle (i.e., temporal intensification).  However, impacts primarily from the Covid-19 pandemic and wildfires in California during the 2020 and 2021 field seasons delayed sampling objectives during these years.  The effect of these delays has extended the completion outlook of the first accelerated cycle to 6-years, rather than five.  Despite this delay, the integrity of the core FIA program is maintained while the state continues to achieve temporal intensification goals. 
WHY TEMPORAL INTENSIFICATION OF FIA IN CALIFORNIA?

Temporal intensification of the FIA re-measurement cycle in California, from a 10-year cycle to a 5-year cycle, provides more frequent estimates of forest conditions, how they are changing, and the drivers of change.  Impacts from climate change, such as drought, insect and disease outbreaks, and wildfire, are becoming more frequent, intense, and larger in scale.  The State also aims to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration.  FIA data on an accelerated re-measurement cycle will help forest managers to assess and respond to the effects of disturbance and management more rapidly and effectively.  


 Cooperating Landowners
 


 Has the FIA program contacted you to request permission to enter your property to access an FIA plot location? 

Please visit the US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station’s FAQ for landowners to learn more: FIA and You: An orientation for forest landowners.
 


 Additional Links
 

Forests of California, 2017 (arcgis.com)
Wildfire Prevention Grants | CAL FIRE
Workshops, meetings, materials creation, and other educational activities with the purpose of increasing knowledge and awareness of information that could be used to reduce the total number of wildfires, acres burned, and structures lost 
To educate the public on regarding making homes and communities more wildfire resilient, including defensible space training. 
Activities are subject to CAL FIRE approval. 


 Project Types: Wildfire Prevention Grants Compared to Forest Health
 

How to determine if a project is more applicable to the Forest Health or the Wildfire Prevention grant program?

Illustrated project types 
Program descriptions 


 New This Year
 

The recommended funding amount is $3 million or less.
Project equipment not to exceed a cumulative total of $750,000.


 Key Documents
 

FY 2023-24 Wildfire Prevention Grants Procedural Guide
FAQ
Press Releases


 Grants Portal Tutorials
 

Your First Login to Grants Portal 
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Grants Portal Application Submittal User Guide 
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Project Mapping Program Video Tutorial 
Project Mapping Program Quick Reference Guide 


 All Grant Documents by Award Year
 


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Advance Payment Request Accountability Report
Board Resolution
FY 2023-24 Wildfire Prevention Grants Procedural Guide
Grants Invoice Template Rev. 10-18-22
Local Unit Contact List Updated 3-6-23
Wildfire Prevention Grants Program FAQ 2023-2024
Wildfire Prevention Grants Project Mapping Hub Guide Final Draft 10-30-2023
Wildfire Prevention Grants Final Report Template
Wildfire Prevention Grants Progress Report Template
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CAL FIRE awards $113 Million in Local Wildfire Prevention Grants
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