Protecting California Communities from Wildfire: Streamlined, Compliant, and Ready to Act
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more destructive, California agencies face growing urgency to implement vegetation treatment and fuels reduction projects that protect lives, property, and infrastructure. Governor Newsom’s March 1, 2025 State of Emergency Proclamation and the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) now provide clear, accelerated pathways to get critical wildfire mitigation work on the ground, without compromising environmental safeguards.
Two Paths to Faster, Responsible Action
Under the Proclamation, state and local agencies can request temporary suspension of certain statutes and regulations (including CEQA and CESA) for qualified fuels reduction projects, while still adhering to the Forest Practice Act and applying Best Management Practices (BMPs) from the statewide Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan.
Meanwhile, CalVTP offers a streamlined CEQA review process through a certified Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and Project-Specific Analysis (PSA) framework, which is ideal for projects within State Responsibility Areas and local wildland–urban interface zones.
Both approaches enable agencies to:
Launch wildfire risk reduction projects faster
Reduce administrative review timelines
Coordinate effectively across jurisdictions
Maintain full environmental compliance
How Aspen Can Help
Aspen Environmental Group has deep expertise guiding clients through both CalVTP and Proclamation pathways, from determining eligibility to preparing PSAs, environmental checklists, suspension requests, and compliance documentation.
With over three decades of experience supporting wildfire mitigation and vegetation management projects for counties, utilities, and state agencies across California, Aspen helps public agencies act quickly and confidently while maintaining environmental integrity.
Projects eligible under the State of Emergency Proclamation must be submitted before December 31, 2025.