In April, an administrative law judge issued a preliminary decision approving Southern California Edison’s wildfire mitigation plan. The California Public Utilities Commission must also affirm the ALJ’s recommendation. In addition, SCE filed a rate increase request with CPUC. The purpose of this request is to “… include a wildfire risk component in setting the company’s…
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his proposed revisions for the fiscal year 2019-20 budget, which begins July 1. The total budget recommendation is $209.1 billion. His revised budget for use of general funds will spend $147 billion, $2.8 billion more than the January budget proposal. The revenue projections for next year continue to be…
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed May 5 to 11 as “Wildfire Preparedness Week.” Newsom noted that he has been concerned about the consequences and threats of wildfires from his first day in office on Jan 7. Noting, “Eleven million people — approximately a quarter of the states’ population — live in high fire-risk areas,”…
forestThe U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region is seeking nominations to fill the 11-member Recreation Resource Advisory Committee in California. Recreation committee members recommend recreation fee changes at national forest sites throughout California. This includes making recreation fee program recommendations on implementing or eliminating standard amenity fees; expanded amenity fees; and noncommercial, individual special recreation…
About two months after California’s electric utilities submitted their wildfire mitigation plans to the state Public Utility Commission, the agency issued proposed decisions for the three largest utilities, including Southern California Edison. The two administrative law judges reviewing the documents agreed that the plans complied with the requirements of Senate Bill 901. Tentative decisions were…
The Local Review Board of the Idyllwild Historic Preservation District met briefly Thursday, April 25. The board discussed the vacant lot on North Circle Drive adjacent to La Casita restaurant. At the January meeting, a member of the public asked the board about the property’s future since it had recently sold. The property is within…
March 22, the California Office of Emergency Services released guidelines for pubic alerts and warnings. A committee of state, local and federal representatives prepared the document in response to questions and criticisms of alert and warning systems throughout the state during the numerous wildfires that have occurred in recent years. “Recent disasters in California have…
On Tuesday, April 9, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Victoria Christiansen testified before the U.S. Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee about the agency’s fiscal year 2019-20 (which begins October 1) request. Nearly 80 million acres, 40 percent of the National Forest System, “are at moderate to high risk from catastrophic fire,” Christiansen began…
After the Caltrans regional director and geotechnical official described the extensive damage and difficulty of repairs at the March 20 press conference at Cranston Ranger Station, Caltrans asked other local and federal officials to speak, especially about the social and community effects of the road closures. Riverside County Sheriff Lt. Alfonso Campa, of the Hemet…
On March 11, President Donald Trump released the outlines of his proposed fiscal year 2019-20 budget. Total federal expenditures are estimated to be $4.7 trillion; this will create a $1.1 trillion deficit of the fiscal year. Last week, the U.S. Forest Service released its budget justifications for FY 2019-20. The Forest Service’s total budget authority…
