Lake County asks governor to veto AB 2494 after forester warns of funding shift

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a letter asking Governor Gavin Newsom to veto AB 2494 after testimony from the county forester and county administrative staff who said the bill could change how demonstration state forests are funded.

Dr. Michael Jones, County Forester, told the Board the current demonstration-forest system is self-sufficient through timber operations and the Forest Resource Improvement Fund (FRIF). He said AB 2494 would create a supplemental pathway to the fund known in the hearing as 'TERFR' (Timber Regulation Forest Restoration Fund) that could make demonstration forests reliant on tax-derived funding for oversight, possibly undermining the forests' mission and ongoing research. County Chief Deputy CAO Matthew Rothstein emphasized the Bill's potential impact on Boggs Demonstration Forest — a site of large-scale post-wildfire research and replanting efforts in Lake County — and on statewide wildfire and forest resilience investments.

Supervisor Sabatier asked for specific code citations and clearer explanations of winners and losers in the bill; Dr. Jones and Rothstein gave a technical explanation of FRIF funding (citing section 4799.13) and warned that the statutory change could reduce the forests' self-sufficiency. Supporters of the veto included public commenters who said pulling demonstration forests out of higher funding priority levels was a serious omission.

After debate and additional public comment, the Board approved the motion to request a veto; the roll call recorded the outcome as 3–1 in favor. Board members said they preferred the bill be reworked to avoid unintended statewide consequences for demonstration forests and for Boggs in particular.