Type: report

Article abstract: In Spring 2026, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) engaged the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force (Task Force) to provide an independent scientific review of the treatment effectiveness and ecological impacts of wildfire mitigation measures in chaparral and coastal sage scrub communities. The request followed a judicial Writ of Mandate that identified deficiencies in the Program Environmental Impact Report for the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP). Task Force leadership assigned the request to the Science Advisory Panel (SAP). To guide the effort, the Board provided a series of questions on the effectiveness and impacts of the measures prescribed in the CalVTP and noted a court-mandated timeline for response. This document was drafted in response to the Board's request.