A California appellate court has sided with environmental groups in a major California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit against the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). The Court’s ruling indicated that CalFire failed to fully evaluate the wildfire risks of its vegetation treatment program. The California Chaparral Institute and Endangered Habitats League, challenged the state’s failure to address “type conversion”—the replacement of native habitat with more flammable vegetation. Hills For Everyone commented during this public review process, and supported the lawsuit, but was not a party to it due to a technicality.

The court found CalFire’s environmental impact report lacked substantial evidence and failed to explain how conversion impacts would be mitigated or monitored. “Measures believed to reduce fire risk are actually increasing the threat,” the judges wrote, calling the agency’s reasoning ironic given the program’s stated goals to reduce wildfire danger.

The decision reverses the lower court’s judgment and orders CalFire to comply with CEQA before proceeding. The court may suspend specific projects until proper environmental reviews are completed.