Photo courtesy of Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) — Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) announced today that Assembly Bill 706 (AB 706), the Forest Organic Residue, Energy and Safety Transformation (FOREST) and Wildfire Prevention Fund Act, passed the California State Legislature. The bill advances efforts to reduce wildfire risk and ensure forest biomass removed through wildfire prevention efforts is put to beneficial use. The bill makes its way to Governor Newsom’s desk.

“AB 706 is about making sure the work we do to protect our forests and communities doesn’t create another environmental problem, especially with the wildfire risk we’re experiencing year-in-and-year-out here in California,” said Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry. “Wildfire prevention project waste releases harmful methane into our atmosphere. We have the technology to benefit our economy by using this waste. I look forward to Governor Newsom’s signature.”

California’s forests cover nearly a third of the state and are critical to our environment, communities, and economy, but they face growing threats from catastrophic wildfires, drought, and invasive species. As California works to remove hazardous fuels and make forests more resilient, those efforts could generate an estimated 10 to 15 million tons of biomass waste each year. Yet the State of California does not have enough infrastructure to put that material to productive use. Without a better solution, it can be burned or left to decay, releasing harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases while continuing to pose a fire risk.

“In addition to wildfire prevention and the many environmental benefits AB 706 will be enabling, the utilization of biomass waste to create renewable, baseload energy that provides grid reliability is an absolute win-win situation for California,” said Pioneer Community Energy’s Chief Operating Officer Sam Kang. "We would like to thank Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry for her leadership in creating a solution to help solve important issues for the state."

AB 706 helps solve the wildfire waste problem by closing that gap. Establishing the FOREST and Wildfire Prevention Fund supports the responsible management and beneficial use of forest biomass generated through wildfire prevention efforts. By creating a path to make better use of this material—including for bioenergy—California can reduce pollution while getting more value out of the work already underway to protect our forests and communities. The bill does not require any new bioenergy procurement and does not put costs on energy ratepayers.

“When we clear out forest fuels to protect our communities, we need to have a good plan for what happens to that material,” concluded Aguiar-Curry. “AB 706 helps us put that biomass to good use, cut pollution and keep our forests healthier and safer—without putting the bill on our California ratepayers.”