POLITICO California Climate: “By the Numbers—Burning Cash”
A new paper about the costs of prescribed burns and mechanical thinning to reduce wildfire risk is discussed in a newsletter segment.
“Treating 30.7 million acres of California’s fire-prone lands with prescribed fire and mechanical thinning would cost $16.8 billion, according to a new working paper from Resources for the Future, far beyond current state and federal funding levels...
Per the study, the federal and state governments are on track to meet that $5 billion over the next ten years — if they both match California’s current rate of spending of $275 million per year.
Another interesting finding: Mechanical thinning, most commonly used in steeper and high-elevation areas, costs roughly $577 per acre. Prescribed burns, more used in flat areas away from populations, costs $170 per acre.”
