State funding has been funneled into new suppression gear, large-scale tree removal and prescribed burns, putting California on safer footing. “I’ve never seen so much focused attention in Sacramento on the issue,” said CNR dean and Professor of Forest Economics Keith Gilless. “Last year, 2017, got everybody’s attention,” said Gilless, Chair of the California State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Last year was just terrible. Everybody involved is doing their best to be as prepared as we can. Any area might burn now, including those with much higher structure densities than they did 20 or 50 years ago. You are going to need a lot of resources that you might not have needed before,” he said. “The state is being very aggressive in its suppression efforts.” Read more...