HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupport Letter - AB 2517 (Calderon) - 04.21.2026MAYOR KITTY MOORE
kmoore@cupertino.gov
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-1389
CUPERTINO.GOV
April 21, 2026
The Honorable Lisa Calderon
Member, California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Room #4650
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 2517 (Calderon) Fire Safety: Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Notice of SUPPORT, (As
Introduced on February 20, 2026)
Dear Assembly Member Calderon:
On behalf of the City of Cupertino, I am writing to express our support for your Assembly Bill
(AB) 2517, which would improve the Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) designation process by
ensuring consistent updates to Local Responsibility Area (LRA) maps and establishing a more
transparent, publicly accessible process for developing and releasing these critical designations.
Under current law, fire hazard severity zone designations are applied in both state
responsibility areas and local responsibility areas to reflect the state’s best available science
regarding environmental conditions such as slope, vegetation, and wind patterns that influence
wildfire spread. While LRA FHSZ maps undergo periodic reviews, the statute does not
mandate a complete update. Prior to the most recent release in 2025, the LRA maps have not
been updated for more than 15 years.
With the 2025 LRA maps now available, significant concerns were raised regarding the accuracy
of underlying land-use information. This includes split parcels with multiple designations and
the classification of developed areas. Including parking lots and bodies of water, as very high
fire hazard severity zones. Cities are required to adopt these maps by ordinance and conduct
public hearings locally yet currently have no formal opportunity to meaningfully engage in or
respond to concerns about the state’s model, data, or methodology before adoption.
AB 2517 would clarify how and when FHSZ maps are updated and ensure meaningful public
engagement prior to local adoption. Specifically, the bill would establish a five-year update
cycle for LRA FHSZ maps, require a preliminary public release of updated maps, mandate
disclosure of the data, models, and methodology used to develop the designations, and provide
opportunities for regional workshops and public comment before the maps are transmitted to
local agencies for ordinance adoption.
Without a formal opportunity to review underlying data and methodology before maps are
finalized, the City cannot correct errors that affect communities or maintain public trust in the
process. A predictable update cycle, transparent data disclosure, and early public engagement,
are essential for ensuring that wildfire-risk designations in a suburban, wildland-urban
interface community such as Cupertino are accurate, equitable, and aligned with real on-the-
ground conditions.
For these reasons, the City of Cupertino is pleased to support your AB 2517.
Sincerely,
Kitty Moore
Mayor, City of Cupertino
Cc: The Honorable Josh Becker
The Honorable Patrick Ahrens
The Assembly Emergency Management Committee + Members