BILL NUMBER: SCR 49CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 69 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 24, 2015 ADOPTED IN SENATE JUNE 22, 2015 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 11, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Senator Berryhill (Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Bates, Gaines, Hall, Huff, Jackson, Monning, Moorlach, Morrell, and Pavley) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Bigelow, Brough, Chvez, Dahle, Gallagher, Lopez, and Olsen) APRIL 29, 2015 Relative to Wildfire Awareness Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 49, Berryhill. Wildfire Awareness Week. This measure would declare the week of May 3, 2015, to May 9, 2015, inclusive, as Wildfire Awareness Week to raise public awareness and encourage all residents of California to be prepared for wildfires. WHEREAS, Wildfires significantly impact California's environmental, economic, and social well-being; and WHEREAS, California is a dynamic place to live, work, and recreate, with a diverse ecological environment; and WHEREAS, The current drought and significantly increased drought-induced mortality of trees and other natural vegetation throughout the state create ideal conditions for severe wildfire risk; and WHEREAS, Approximately 95 percent of wildfires in California are human caused and, therefore, are preventable; and WHEREAS, The history of California wildfires has seen unparalleled devastation, with wildfires comparable to the world's most destructive fires in the past 150 years, and Californians should not forget the lessons learned and impact from previous wildfires, including, the 1977 Spanish Ranch Fire near Santa Maria, the 1970 Laguna Fire near San Diego, the 2003 Cedar Fire east of San Diego, the 2007 Southern California fires, and the 2013 Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest that became the third largest wildfire in California's history; and WHEREAS, Wildfire suppression costs only represent a small portion of the overall economic impacts and do not reflect the total cost of large and damaging fires; and WHEREAS, Residents must be encouraged to move from the expectation of being protected from a wildfire to the understanding that they must be prepared to survive a wildfire; and WHEREAS, To do so, residents of this state will need to acquire the knowledge and skills to prepare their homes to survive a wildfire and to take action before the wildfire occurs; and WHEREAS, The educational tools for preventing wildfires and protecting against them when they occur already exist; and WHEREAS, It is essential that we reach out to our communities and individual homeowners with this information, because, armed with knowledge, residents of this state can learn to live safely in a wildfire environment; and WHEREAS, "Wildfire Awareness Week" is a valuable opportunity for California's fire agencies and communities to reduce the risk of wildfires and increase public safety and awareness through education on fire safety, preparation, and prevention; and WHEREAS, Residents who implement appropriate prefire activities improve the survivability of their homes during a wildfire; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares the week of May 3, 2015, to May 9, 2015, inclusive, as Wildfire Awareness Week to raise public awareness and encourage all residents of California to be prepared for wildfires. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.