AB 2494 Vetoed

The Fight for Demonstration State Forests Continues

Governor Newsom vetoed AB 2494 on September 18, 2026. The bill would have overhauled management policy for California's Demonstration State Forests (DSFs), setting new goals, forestry techniques, and research priorities for how these lands are managed.

The bill had cleared both chambers of the Legislature, passing the Assembly in May and the Senate in August before reaching the Governor's desk. That unified support, paired with backing from tribal nations and environmental organizations statewide, made AB 2494 one of the more closely watched forest policy fights of the session.

In his veto message, the Governor argued that narrowing DSF management to a limited set of public benefits could hamper the state's ability to "fully demonstrate the best science-based practices" at a time when California needs maximum flexibility to address wildfire resilience and climate change.

Despite the veto, advocates see this as a setback rather than a defeat. EPIC (Environmental Protection Information Center) has pointed to the breadth of support the bill drew this year as evidence that the timber industry's traditional grip on forest management policy is loosening. Both EPIC and Assemblymember Rogers are already committed to bringing the bill back next year under a new governor, aiming once again to change the mandate governing how Demonstration State Forests are managed.

Jackson Demonstration State Forest, right here on the Mendocino coast, was central to this fight. The coalition that formed around AB 2494 isn't going anywhere, and the Mendocino Trail Stewards will keep tracking this effort as it heads toward a second attempt next year, and keep looking for ways our community can help protect these forests in the meantime.