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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2020

Does the federal government own 58% of California’s forests?

Jacqueline Agustin, Gigafact
yes

The federal government owns nearly 58% of California's forests, with 3% under the state government's direct control and the balance in private hands.

Since devastating fires in 1910, U.S. forestry policy across the West largely sought to suppress natural fire cycles. The cumulative impact of those measures in California has contributed to a buildup of fuel that has in recent years been a major factor in more intense and destructive fires. Until a 2018 change in Forest Service funding, money to fight the worsening fires came at the expense of longer-term measures to mitigate the threats with controlled burning and other measures.

The state and the forest service last month agreed to begin to deal more aggressively with its huge expanse of still fire-prone forests, aiming to "treat" a million acres a year by 2025. More than 3 million acres have burned so far in 2020's fires.

Sources

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