Cap-And-Trade Money For Fire Prevention?

Sacramento, CA — A proposed bill that would set aside cap-and-trade money for forest fire prevention efforts has passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

AB 2146, introduced by Assembly Republican Jim Patterson, would spend $200-million in cap-and-trade revenue on projects to cut back forest overgrowth, with the end goal of preventing catastrophic wildfires. Patterson says, “In 2015, three major California fires – the Rough, Valley and Butte Fire – caused several deaths, injuries to civilians and emergency personnel, and destroyed over 1,000 homes. If reducing the greenhouse gases is the true function of cap-and-trade, then using it to prevent forest fires is absolutely necessary.”

Patterson adds that the 2013 Rim Fire produced the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 2.3 million vehicles produce annually. AB 2146 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further review.