BILL NUMBER:  AB 2447
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2008




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 2447 without my signature.

Although this bill has some meritorious components, it creates a new
program that would potentially mandate the Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to be directly involved with costly and
time-consuming project-by-project verification for subdivisions
located in State Responsibility Areas (SRAs) throughout the state.
CAL FIRE should not be in the position of having to act as a local
land use agency.  Rather, that responsibility rests with California
local governments and elected officials.

Additionally, this bill places CAL FIRE in the unenviable position of
having to make written verifications as to whether or not a
subdivision has "sufficient structural fire protection."  Because the
bill does not define this term, competing interpretations between
local government, their local fire services, and the State would
certainly ensue.

CAL FIRE's role, put simply, is to protect life, property and
watersheds from the threat of fire in our state.  This responsibility
requires them to work cooperatively with local governments and their
local fire services.  I cannot compromise those important
relationships by placing CAL FIRE in the inappropriate role of
arbiter between local governments and their local fire services as to
whether the prescribed fire protection standard is being met.

Nonetheless, the need for comprehensive fire safety protection within
our state is vitally important.  I look forward to working with the
Legislature in the next session to pursue solutions that increase
fire protection for Californians in ways that do not inappropriately
combine or confuse the legitimate roles and responsibilities of the
state and local governments.

For these reasons, I am returning this bill without my signature.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger