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Jerry Brown focuses on saving California forests from fires

Jerry Brown, Ryan Zinke
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, center, and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, second from right, tour the Camp-fire ravaged Paradise Elementary School in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2018. Brown has called California's mega fires "the new abnormal" as climate change turns the state warmer and drier. With the help of Ken Pimlott, the former chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Brown convened a group at his rural Colusa County ranch in September 2021, to discuss what could be done to save California's forests.
Jerry Brown, Ryan Zinke
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Former California Gov. Jerry Brown has reentered the public policy arena in California with a call to action to prevent wildfires.

A group he convened at his Northern California ranch early this fall has drafted a document, dubbed the Venado Declaration. It calls for a shift in emphasis from fighting wildfires to managing the forests in ways that prevent them from starting.

California’s wildfires have become fiercer and more destructive with climate change.

The document, shared with The Associated Press, calls for a massive increase in forest management spending, from the record $1.5 billion now budgeted to $5 billion. Other suggestions include building more biomass facilities and sawmills to process harvested trees and training more workers in forest management.

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WILDFIRE RESOURCES

ASSEMBLE AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

Put together your emergency supply kit long before a wildfire or other disaster occurs and keep it easily accessible so you can take it with you when you have to evacuate.

Emergency Supply Kit Checklist:

  • Face masks or coverings
  • Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person
  • Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
  • Prescriptions or special medications
  • Change of clothing
  • Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
  • An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks
  • First aid kit
  • Flashlight
  • Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
  • Sanitation supplies
  • Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
  • Don’t forget pet food and water!

Items to take if time allows:

  • Easily carried valuables
  • Family photos and other irreplaceable items
  • Personal computer information on hard drives and disks
  • Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.

Always keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight near your bed and handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night.