Land Use Planning
The Wildfire Hazard Legislation and Safety Element Planning and Zoning Law requires that cities and counties adopt a comprehensive general plan with various elements including a safety element for protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with various hazards, including wildfires (CGC 65302.5). The Land Use Planning program assists the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (the Board) and the local agency that shall review the draft or an existing safety element and recommend changes to the planning agency within 60 days of its receipt regarding both of the following:
(A) Uses of land and policies in state responsibility areas and very high fire hazard severity zones that will protect life, property, and natural resources from unreasonable risks associated with wild land fires.
(B) Methods and strategies for wild land fire risk reduction and prevention within state responsibility areas and very high fire hazard severity zones. These methods and strategies shall reflect accepted best practices in the most recent guidance document entitled “Fire Hazard Planning, General Plan Technical Advice Series,” as identified in Section 65040.21.
Land Use Planning Laws
- Senate Bill No. 1241. (2012): Bill text. Legislative Counsel’s Digest
- Senate Bill No. 379. (2015): Bill text. Land Use: General Plan: Safety Element
- California Government Code 65302: Planning and Land Use – Local Planning – Authority for and Scope of General Plans
- California Government Code 66474: Planning and Land Use – Subdivisions
Land Use Planning for Wildfires Trainings
The Community Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Program in collaboration with the Community Wildfire Planning Center has completed the first round of Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California training in 2025 with more classes being scheduled for the fall. Click Learn More for information on future training and to be added to a training notification list.
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Statewide Program Administrator
- Shane Vargas
Deputy Chief
Shane.Vargas@fire.ca.gov
Sacramento Contacts
-
Rudy Baltazar
Assistant Chief
Rudy.Baltazar@fire.ca.gov
- Shelley Redden
Battalion Chief
Shelley.Redden@fire.ca.gov
- Steven "Brian" Barkley
Battalion Chief
Steven.Barkley@fire.ca.gov
- Kevin Lindo
Battalion Chief
Kevin.Lindo@fire.ca.gov
- Shane Galvez
Battalion Chief
Shane.Galvez@fire.ca.gov
- Bryan Carter
Battalion Chief
Bryan.Carter@fire.ca.gov
- Vacant
Battalion Chief
- Brian Olsen
Battalion Chief
- Melinda Pritchard
Associate Governmental Program Analyst
Melinda.Pritchard@fire.ca.gov
(916) 261-3977
Northern Region Contacts
- Malcolm Kennedy
Battalion Chief
Malcolm.Kennedy@fire.ca.gov
(530)-360-5291
Alpine, Amador, Colusa, El Dorado, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo
- James Ausboe
Fire Captain
James.Ausboe@fire.ca.gov
(530)-410-5592
Butte, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba
- Scott Augustine
Fire Captain
Scott.Augustine@fire.ca.gov
(530) 410-5142
Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz
- Vacant
Fire Captain
Southern Region Contacts
- Jose Quintana
Battalion Chief
Jose.Quintana@fire.ca.gov
(559) 243-8992 Office
(951) 201-9918 Cell
Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, San Benito, Monterey, Kern, Tulare
- Vacant
Fire Captain
- Joe Kennedy
Fire Captain
Joseph.Kennedy@fire.ca.gov
(951)-233-7426
Orange, Riverside
- Shawn Arnold
Fire Captain
Shawn.Arnold@fire.ca.gov
(909)-677-3408
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura
-
Jimmy Barraza
Fire Captain
Jimmy.Barraza@fire.ca.gov
(951)-201-1824
Los Angeles
-
Vincent Vega
Fire Captain
Vincent.Vega@fire.ca.gov
San Diego, San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Imperial
Subdivision Review Program
Firewise Communities
California is prone to the threat of wildfires, there are things you can do to protect your neighborhood, home, and family. Visit the links below to learn how.
