On January 6th, 2026, the Wildfire Solutions Coalition submitted the following letter to Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, to urge swift action on AB 35 to avoid delay in investing Prop 4 wildfire resilience funding. AB 35 would exempt Prop 4 funds from California’s Administrative Procedures Act, which is consistent with previous natural resource bonds and will prevent costly delays and accelerate critical wildfire mitigation projects statewide. Getting funding out the door quickly is critical to protect homes, landscapes, and lives before the next catastrophic fire strikes.
RE: AB 35 (Alvarez) Proposition 4 Administrative Procedures Act Exemption – SUPPORT
Dear Chair Bryan,
The Wildfire Solutions Coalition is writing to express its strong support for AB 35 (Alvarez), which would exempt Proposition 4 funds from the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The Wildfire Solutions Coalition is a statewide alliance committed to securing long-term funding for wildfire mitigation and resilience. We believe California must invest in proactive solutions that protect lives, homes, ecosystems, and the economy – before the next fire starts. The goal of the Coalition is to secure the resources necessary – from local, state, federal, philanthropic, and private sector investment – to achieve California’s wildfire resilience goals and dramatically reduce the impacts of catastrophic wildfire across the state.
Proposition 4 responds to the urgent need to mitigate the impacts of wildfires and other climate-related issues, and Californians strongly support increasing funding for this work. In 2024, voters overwhelmingly embraced action on wildfire and climate resilience, approving Prop 4’s historic investments with nearly 60% of the vote. In 2025, Californians mobilized once again to urge the legislature to appropriate Prop 4 funding in FY 2025-26. Even more recently, a public opinion poll commissioned by the Wildfire Solutions Coalition found that 68% of likely voters believe that California has a great need or some need for additional funding to reduce the threat of these catastrophic wildfires.
Exempting Prop 4 funds from the APA is consistent with other natural resource bonds, including Proposition 68 and Proposition 1. A full exemption would enable funds to be deployed more quickly and efficiently, ensuring that protracted administrative processes do not delay urgent wildfire risk reduction, landscape health, and community protection projects. Agencies such as the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Natural Resources Agency, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and state conservancies have noted that a standard rulemaking process, including review by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL), could result in delays of 12 to 18 months before communities receive awards. On this timeline, critical resilience projects could miss the implementation window in both the 2026 and 2027 field seasons.
In the world of wildfire, delay often paves the road to disaster. For example, the 2021 Caldor Fire, which burned through Eldorado National Forest and over the crest of the Sierra, destroyed hundreds of homes and structures. Years earlier, the USDA Forest Service started work on the Trestle Forest Health Project to protect the high-risk community of Grizzly Flats. However, due to a combination of factors, including insufficient funding, the fuel reduction project was never completed, and Grizzly Flats was devastated by the Caldor Fire. In contrast, other communities threatened by the fire did not lose a single home or structure, in no small part because landscape-level wildfire resilience projects were successfully funded and implemented.
Importantly, an exemption from the APA does not eliminate transparency, consultation, or public engagement. Agencies will continue to follow robust fiscal controls, reporting requirements, and legislative oversight. Many of these programs have already undergone extensive public input and stakeholder engagement. Rather than reducing accountability, the exemption will streamline implementation, maintain consistency across existing programs, and remove barriers to delivering critical funding where it is most urgently needed.
Across the state, funding availability is often the primary barrier to completing critical wildfire resilience projects before it is too late. In addition to inviting catastrophe, delays in funding can also result in reduced capacity, halted work, layoffs, missed weather windows, and the need to redo surveys and other planning work – all of which increase the costs of doing the same project at a later date. Given the extreme threat to communities and landscapes across California from catastrophic wildfires and other climate hazards, it is imperative to get Prop 4 dollars on the ground as soon as possible.
Thank you again for your leadership on this important issue. We call on you to support AB 35 in committee to ensure this critical climate funding is made available as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Michael Jarred, Associate Director, The Nature Conservancy
Emily Blackmer, Director of Government Affairs, Sierra Business Council
Lucy Blake, President, Northern Sierra Partnership
Julia Bishop Hall, State Legislative Director, Association of California Water Agencies
Adrian Covert, Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Bay Area Council
Mac Cloyes, Managing Director of Government Relations, Blue Forest
Matt Dias, President and CEO, California Forestry Association
Bernard Molloy II, President, California Fire Chiefs Association
Jacy Hyde, Executive Director, California Fire Safe Councils
Lexie Gritlefeld, Director, California Outdoor Recreation Partnership
Jennifer Capitolo, Executive Director, California Water Association
Paul DiMaggio, President, Central Basin Water Association
Rebecca Guo, General Manager, El Dorado Water Agency
Don Butz, President, Fire Districts Association of California
R. Michelle Decker, President & CEO, Inland Empire Community Foundation
Michael O’Connell, President & CEO, Irvine Ranch Conservancy
Eric Lombardo, Director of External Affairs, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Patti D’Angelo Juachon, Senior Program Director, Marin Community Foundation
Eric Horne, California Director, Megafire Action
Scott Ratterman, President, Mountain Counties Water Resources Association
Paul Mason, Vice President, Policy & Incentives, Pacific Forest Trust
Tony Firenzi, General Manager, Placer County Water Agency
Jason Martin, General Manager, Rancho California Water District
Temra Costa, Director, Regenerative Forest Solutions
Staci Heaton, Senior Policy Advocate, Rural County Representatives of CA
Seth Schalet, Chief Executive Officer, Santa Clara County FireSafe Council
Ted Clement, Executive Director, Save Mount Diablo
Steve Mietz, President & CEO, Save the Redwoods League
Robert Trent, Executive Director, Sierra Commons
Sean Barclay, General Manager, Tahoe City Public Utility District
Landon Peppel, Chief Operating Officer, The Wildlands Conservancy
Joshua Golka, Head of State Government Relations, Valley Water
Patrick Koepele, Executive Director, Yosemite Rivers Alliance