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Kings County OKs letter supporting HouseFix Our Forests Act (HR 471); vote 4-1
Summary
The board voted to authorize a letter of support for the House version of the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471), citing indirect wildfire and air-quality impacts on Kings County; the motion passed with one vote against.
Kings County supervisors voted on Aug. 12 to authorize the chairman to sign a letter of support for H.R. 471, the HouseFix Our Forests Act, citing the legislationpotential to reduce wildfire severity and address air quality impacts that affect Central Valley residents.
Alex C. Walker, an administrative analyst with Kings County administration, summarized the bill and staffrecommendation. Walker said the county has not regularly engaged in forest-management legislation because Kings County contains no national forest land, but staff recommended support because wildfire smoke and related environmental impacts cross county lines and affect local residents. Walker noted the House version (H.R. 471) had passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support and said the Senate companion bill (S. 1462) was under consideration.
Walker said the House bill designates high-risk "fireshed management areas," establishes an interagency fireshed center for assessment and mapping, and expedites certain National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for specified forest-management projects. He told the board the measure was supported by regional counties and statewide associations including the National Association of Counties and the California State Association of Counties.
One supervisor suggested adding language about insect and disease (for example bark beetle) management to the countyplatform but agreed the letter could move forward. The board then voted to authorize the chairman to sign the letter of support. The clerk recorded the motion as passing with four votes in favor and one opposed; the transcript does not identify the member who voted against the motion by name during the roll call readout.
Staff said the Senate companion would be brought back to the board in coming weeks and that the county would coordinate with neighboring Central Valley counties on shared wildfire and watershed concerns.
The board did not adopt a formal ordinance or allocate new funding; the vote authorized only a letter of support for the House bill.
