California faces devastating wildfires, vulnerable drinking water, extreme summer heat, and other major threats from climate change.
Proposition 4 tackles our most urgent climate needs today, before the damage becomes too costly.
Prop 4 makes urgent investments to prevent devastating wildfires, provide clean, safe drinking water and boost water supplies, and protect California’s iconic landscapes.
Prevent Devastating Wildfires and Smoke
Recent wildfires burned over 2 million acres, impacting our health. A UCLA study found that 10 years of wildfire smoke caused 50,000 premature deaths and $400 billion in economic losses.
Prop 4 invests in proven strategies–detecting, preventing, and reducing the intensity and spread of wildfires.
- Protects communities by creating natural fire breaks and removing burnable brush around populated areas
- Increases forest health to reduce wildfire intensity
- Improves early detection and disaster response
- Enhances safety by upgrading available firefighting equipment, emergency communications, evacuation routes, and shelter availability
Provide Safe Drinking Water and Boost Water Supplies
We can’t take our water for granted. A changing climate, frequent droughts, crumbling infrastructure, and pollution put our supplies under pressure. A recent study determined a changing climate could reduce water sources more than 20% in coming years.
Prop 4 takes important steps, removing contaminants and safeguarding our water supply.
- Upgrades vital water infrastructure and fixes crumbling dams and levees
- Restores groundwater supplies and increases local water recycling programs
- Increases stormwater capture to boost supply
- Provides water treatment to filter harmful contaminants like lead, PFAFs, and perchlorate
Protect California’s Iconic Forests, Mountains, Rivers and Coast
Safeguarding our natural areas is more urgent than ever, as we lose farmland and habitat for wildlife found nowhere else, and as beaches wash away.
Prop 4 protects what makes California special and maintains the natural sources of our clean water and air.
- Preserves our open spaces, forests, and coastline for this and future generations
- Restores coastal areas and wetlands, and protects them from the effects of rising sea levels
- Enhances and restores natural areas to improve habitats and protect wildlife
- Protects and improves California’s rivers, streams, and lakes
Ensure All Californians Have Access to Clean Water and Healthy, Resilient Communities
Nearly one million Californians live in communities without access to clean water, where families cannot safely drink water or shower. Meanwhile, smoke and extreme heat are creating new health threats, straining communities already facing heavy pollution burdens.
Prop 4 improves the health of communities most in need.
- Cleans polluted drinking water, filtering out contaminants like arsenic and lead
- Reduces dangerous air pollution by preventing catastrophic wildfires and advancing cleaner energy systems
- Furthers our transition to clean, pollution-free energy, including wind energy, and battery storage capacity
- Prepares communities for extreme heat, with investments to plant more trees for shade, creating more green space, and building community cooling centers
Smart Investments and Accountability to Keep Our Cost of Living in Check
Prop 4 represents a historic shift from disaster response to prevention, saving billions in future costs from wildfires and water shortages. Wildfire risks have driven up insurance and utility bills. Droughts, floods, rising sea levels, and extreme heat are poised to inflict billions more in damages.
- Establishes annual independent audits of bond funding and ensures full transparency on all future spending
- Prioritizes proven, cost-effective prevention strategies that reduce disaster response costs
- Makes key water supply improvements to prevent future disruptions and expenses
- Saves local governments millions each year in avoided costs