Bill Moves into Senate Committee
Last month this newsletter looked at some of the issues surrounding Senate Bill 396—legislation that would allow electric utilities such as PG&E to override previous easements and “fell, cut, or trim” trees far beyond their rights-of-way. These actions could be taken with little notification to landowners and without a clear appeal process, regardless of the environmental damage, property rights violations, or effectiveness in reducing wildfire risk. SB396 would also permit debris and chipped wood to remain on the ground to a “maximum…depth of nine inches” within 150 feet of a structure, public road, or other infrastructure. Landowners would bear the cost of removing that material.
SB396 is strongly opposed by the Sierra Club and many other advocacy groups across California, including the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Biological Diversity.
On August 1, SB396 moved out of the State Assembly in a floor vote with 54 “Yes” votes, 25 “No Vote Recorded (NVR)” from Assembly members who did not wish to take a position or were absent, and a single “No” vote from our own District 29 Assemblymember, Mark Stone. Stone had been contacted by many constituents and groups opposed to the bill and has taken a firm stance against it. Residents of Santa Cruz County are very grateful to him for his willingness to consider the questions and concerns raised by individuals and local environmental groups. State Senator Mike McGuire (District 2) is also in opposition, as is State Senator John Laird. The Marin County Board of Supervisors recently voted to oppose SB396 as well.
The bill was heard by the State Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on Tuesday, August 16, and was passed through the committee to a full Floor vote. If passed on the Floor, that vote is the final step before SB396 goes for the governor's signature, taking effect on January 1, 2023.
Since beginning its Enhanced Vegetation Management (EVM) program in 2018, PG&E has committed to the pruning or removal of millions of trees in its service area, and has sought legislative backing expanding its authority to do so. Concern over PG&E’s environmentally destructive Enhanced Vegetation Management (EVM) and its long-term effects on California’s residents, wildlife, habitat, rivers and watersheds has led to the formation of a new, multi-chapter Sierra Club working group. This group will focus on gathering and exchanging information, ideas and experiences with utility clear-cutting, wildfire, and forest protection, and exploring ways in which the Sierra Club can more effectively advocate for forest and wildland preservation in these challenging circumstances. Periodic will updates will appear in this newsletter as our work evolves.
CZU Fire Damage, Empire Grade PHOTO: KRISTEN SANDEL