AG Guidance Impacts New Construction In High Wildfire Areas

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Sacramento, CA — California’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, has put out a 14-page document that is designed to provide guidance to cities and counties when reviewing development projects in high fire-prone areas.

Critics fear it will create more steps and challenges to construct projects in the rural areas of the state at a time when California is trying to increase its overall home inventory.

Bonta says, “As local governments consider new development projects, it is imperative that they carefully analyze and mitigate wildfire impacts as part of the environmental review process required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The guidance includes things like recommending that government entities require developers to upgrade to building materials that are less flammable, require models/studies related to evacuation planning, analyze the adequacy of local water supplies, strive to increase housing density, and study the fire history of the site.

Bonta argues that more acres of California have burned in the past decade than in the previous 90 years, prompting the need for additional guidance.

You can view the full document by clicking here.