We have found it best to make interventions in front of the Calfire Zone 0 Advisory Committee as personal as possible, and using a small number of speaking points. The final ask in the intervention should always be to keep the regulations science-based and strong—please don’t water them down!
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Wildfire science is quasi-unanimously behind strict Zone 0. Every single well-known wildfire scientist has endorsed strict Zone 0: Jack Cohen, Steve Quarles, Michael Gollner etc.
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Every single firefighting group testifying in front of the Committee has testified in favor of strict Zone 0. In fact, several fire departments, such as, for instance, Ventura County, the most experienced in the country, have requested tougher regulations
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There is a tremendous amount of disinformation circulating about wildfire mitigation on social media—as much as in COVID times, and as baseless
- opponents of Zone 0 are trying to make it appear that there is some evidence behind some of their claims. But, in reality, every single article used to support them has been shown to be baseless. In fact, some authors of such papers, such as Dr Alexandra Syphard, have specifically denounced attempts to use their papers against Zone 0.
- There is not one single peer-reviewed article that can demonstrate scientifically the wildfire-suppressing capability of ANY specific shrub in Zone 0 today
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Every local jurisdiction in the LRA is going to need to pass new fire ordinances in the next 3 years. If the state regulations are not strict enough, every local jurisdiction in the LRA will have to fight a very tough local fight to pass stricter Zone 0 regulations. Many will lose. It is critical that state zone 0 regulations be strict enough that 99% of local jurisdictions be able to pass exactly the same regulations, and feel comfortable that these regulations, along with voluntary home hardening, will protect their residents. It is much better that the state Zone 0 Committee but ready to take on some flak from opponents, so as to avoid the same for thousands of local jurisdictions. Please do not sell out the local jurisdictions in the LRA.
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Please do not soften regulations on wooden fences. Wooden fences are the way wildfire quicky invades neighborhoods. Softening regulations against wooden fences would make a mockery of this regulation.
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Please keep the State Zone 0 regulations tightly aligned with IBHS: if there is too much difference between state Zone 0 rules and IBHS rules, homeowners may make significant investments on State Zone 0 landscaping, and find out later that their homeowners insurance carriers will, some day, mandate IBHS regulations on Zone 0 under the penalty of non-renewal. Right now, IBHS Zone 0 regulations are significantly tougher than the State Zone 0 regulations.