20x20 | Battling wildfire with science-based policies | Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

In recent years, California has faced increasingly catastrophic wildfires, threatening lives, property, and ecosystems. The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment’s Climate and Energy Policy Program (CEPP) has played a pivotal role in addressing this crisis by advising policymakers on science-based fire management practices. The impact of their work has been substantial, helping to shape legislation aimed at reducing the intensity and frequency of wildfires while promoting ecological resilience and traditional ecological knowledge.

CEPP’s collaboration with state lawmakers has led to the introduction of key legislative measures that promote the use of prescribed fire and tribal fire practices—long-overlooked but essential tools for wildfire risk management. In the past two years, CEPP’s research and expert advice have informed the development of two important bills in the California State Legislature: SB 310, which encourages the use of prescribed and tribal fire in fire-prone regions, and SB 436, which proposes risk-based planning for wildfire resilience. Both of these bills are considered potential game-changers in the state’s approach to fire management.

These legislative efforts build on earlier successes, such as the passing of SB 332 in 2021 and SB 926 in 2022, bills designed to remove liability barriers to prescribed burns and provide alternatives to insurance for fire management practices. These laws have made it easier for private landowners and public entities to conduct controlled burns—an essential method for reducing the buildup of flammable vegetation and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems.

CEPP has emerged as an important voice in shaping California’s evolving wildfire policy. Research, reports, and testimony by the program’s experts is helping the state shift from a reactive stance to one of proactive risk management. For example, CEPP Director Michale Wara’s 2020 white paper, “A New Strategy for Addressing the Wildfire Epidemic in California,” offered a comprehensive plan to mitigate fire risks by investing in community protections and scaling up the use of ecologically sound fire management techniques. Some elements of this work have already been incorporated into state legislation, signaling a growing recognition of the need for science-based approaches to fire risk management.

Through its work with California policymakers, CEPP is demonstrating how academic expertise can translate into practical solutions for some of the state’s most pressing environmental challenges. While wildfires remain a complex problem, the legislative advances inspired by CEPP’s work are helping to pave the way toward a more resilient, fire-adapted future.

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20x20 | Battling wildfire with science-based policies