Wildfire evacuation route legislation in the plans

As California’s 10th Assembly District representative serving the North Bay, I am writing in appreciation of the recent article published in the Marin IJ (“Marin panel urges stronger planning for wildfire evacuation routes,” Jan. 3).

The article highlighted the need for communities throughout Marin County to better prepare for emergencies and natural disasters. Having served in the Legislature since 2012, I have seen firsthand the devastation caused by wildfires, floods and other disasters in the North Bay and across California.

While California must continue our leadership efforts to fight the climate crisis, we must also take immediate steps to keep residents safe during emergencies. That is why I authored Assembly Bill 747 in 2019, which was signed into law and requires local general plans to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety and viability under a range of emergency scenarios. Emergency evacuation routes should be identified by local governments and first responders before, not after, an emergency. AB 747 is an important tool that will help save lives throughout California.

Since the passage of AB

747, community leaders have reached out to discuss additional steps that can be taken to prepare for emergencies. In the coming weeks, I will introduce new legislation that will require local governments to identify and include specific evacuation locations in general plans. As the frequency and severity of emergencies and natural disasters increases, evacuation locations will be another critical tool in the toolbox for first responders to use in the event of an emergency. As the Marin County Civil Grand Jury’s report illustrates, we must act now to increase local emergency preparedness. Smart action now will save lives in the future.

— Marc Levine, San Rafael