Drought Relief Program for High Fire Risk Communities Sails through Assembly Committees
[Sacramento] - California State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil is pleased to announce that SB 470 unanimously passed in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. The bill seeks to establish the Urban Water Community Drought Relief program and the Small Community Drought Relief program within the Department of Water Resources. These programs will authorize funding for projects that provide drought relief and help mitigate wildfire risk in high fire hazard severity zones through water delivery system improvements. With the increasing threat of catastrophic wildfires in rural communities, robust water infrastructure is vital for effective fire suppression and the protection of neighborhoods. This bill allocates funding for water utility infrastructure projects, including fire hydrant coverage improvements, water distribution pipeline expansion, and increasing storage capacity. It aims to address the increased environmental and economic devastation caused by wildfires in rural communities over the past decade.
"California's rural communities, including every corner of my district, have suffered immensely due to wildfires, and we must take proactive measures to protect them," said Senator Alvarado-Gil. "By investing in water infrastructure and wildfire defense mechanisms, we can safeguard these vulnerable communities from further unchecked fire activity."
"On behalf of the Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership, we are grateful for the commitment of Senator Alvarado-Gil to protecting communities from wildfire," says Sean Barclay, General Manager of the Tahoe City Public Utility District, "Access to funding opportunities created by the Senator's legislation will help increase the pace and scale of water infrastructure improvements necessary to provide sufficient water flow and duration for firefighters to protect communities from advancing wildfires."
Senator Alvarado-Gil remains committed to serving the needs of Senate District 4 and continues to advocate for measures that address critical issues affecting California's rural communities.
To learn more about Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil please visit: https://sd04.senate.ca.gov/.
Senator Alvarado-Gil represents the 4th Senate District including the Counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.
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