State Forests

California State Forest Committee

MISSION

  • To advocate for the protection of state and privately owned forests that are regulated by California government agencies, and to ensure that public trust resources (climate, water, wildlife/plants/aquatic etc.) are protected for future generations.
  • To support the effort of all California chapters that are advocating for the protection of forests.
  • To follow forest legislation, the state budget, and California agency work, when relevant to the protection of California forests. 
  • To identify and develop positions on California forests that result in biodiverse resilient carbon-rich forests.
  • To understand and advocate for the incorporation of the science of climate disruption into forest policy. 

CHAIR -  Karen Maki

2023 GOALS

  • Follow important state legislation, propose policy positions and collaborate with Sierra Club California (SCC).
  • Attend all Board of Forestry meetings,review and prioritize Board of Forestry issues, and develop positions for SCC support or opposition as needed.
  • Review the implementation of the Natural & Working Lands (NWL) portion of California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Scoping plan and highlight portions where the Sierra Club should intervene in some way. 
  • Develop positions for individual chapter advocacy on forest issues such as how to respond to PG&E (with suggestions from the Wildfire Utility Task Force), “fuel reduction” projects, and wildfire response.
  • Support the Utility Wildfire Prevention Task Force’s work to get PG&E to fix their antiquated equipment and stop their removal of millions of trees.
  • Follow the state’s efforts to address wildfire and discourage excessive thinning and fuel breaks, promote home hardening, and discourage new structures/roads in the wildland urban interface (WUI) and in the wild.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

  1. Attend the next meeting on the first Monday of the month at 4 PM.  Email Karen@karenmaki.com for the agenda and Zoom link.
  2. Find out more about PG&E and how you can protect your property at  https://endpowerlinefires.com.