Climate-induced natural disasters are here and threatening lives and property across our state – as we send this alert today – over 50,000 Californains are under wildfire evacuation orders. At the end of August, the California Legislature passed SB 571, championed by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica). This bill provides for interagency coordination toward a report laying the groundwork to create much-needed evacuation planning standards for development in high-risk areas. We need your support to urge Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature on SB 571.
Climate change is already here, and its impacts are felt across the state. With the rising risk of climate-induced disaster on communities, habitats, public health, and the environment across the state, successful evacuation is one of our most critical life-saving tools. Without adequate evacuation planning, however, new developments in high-risk areas can clog limited ingress and egress routes, preventing evacuees from reaching safety and causing preventable increases in the climate death toll.
SB 571 provides for a report evaluating these many considerations to create much-needed standards for evacuation planning for development in high-risk areas. California needs better coordination between law enforcement, housing, fire, transportation, and natural resource agencies to identify cross-sectoral solutions to current evacuation inadequacies. California urgently needs SB 571.
Please use your voice to urge Governor Newsom’s signature for this crucial disaster planning legislation!
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TAKE ACTION
Contact the Governor by visiting the Governor’s webpage at https://www.gov.ca.gov/ or email the governor directly and be sure to include the subject line below.
Once you are on the Governor’s webpage, click on the contact tab. You will see a best method option. For the subject select “an active bill” A second option will open to indicate the bill – type “SB 571” and our bill should come up. Then select “leave a comment” and click “next.” Select “pro” add “SB 571” to the subject line and then copy and paste the message below into the message field. Feel free to add to or rewrite the message if you would like. At then end the contact form will ask for your name and email, your phone number is optional.
Below is a sample message you can use. You can also write your own message, just be sure to keep it short and positive and thank the Governor for his consideration.