California advocates urge veto override on forest management bill

A call has been made for California state senators and assemblymembers to override Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of AB 2494. The proposed legislation aimed to reform forest management within state demonstration forests.

Proponents of the bill argue that AB 2494 would have prioritized science-based management, biodiversity, and Indigenous inclusion over traditional timber-centric practices. Critics of the veto suggest that maintaining current standards, which some claim have not been comprehensively updated in decades, prioritizes continued logging over ecological stewardship and carbon sink protection.