Gov. Gavin Newsom revisits Butte County after meeting with President Trump

After the governor took a tour of the emergency animal center that was set up at Camelot, he addressed climate change as the reason fire season lasts longer, which in turn makes fires more destructive and stretches resources thinly across the state.

Governor gavin newsom held a small press conference at the camelot equestrian park near oroville.

Action news now reporter esteban reynoso was there.

Esteban, what did the governor talk about?

Alan, after the governor took a tour of the emergency animal center that was setup at camelot, he addressed climate change as the reason fire season lasts longer, which in turn makes fires more destructive and stretches resources thinly across the state.

"when you're experiencing five years of record drought, and you're experiencing the reality of 163 million trees that have died because of the drought, you're experiencing climate change."

Governor newsom made a quick revisit to butte county after visiting last week his message was the same.

"the hots are getting a lot hotter, the drys are getting a lot drier.

We're still struggling through the last five to six years where we have been in drought conditions in this state."

Fires like the bear fire, that is more than a quarter of a million acres, thrive on those drought conditions.

"compare that to last fire season, 277,000 acres through the entire calendar year, we're already at 3.2 million acres."

And to people in oroville, it's evident how devastating fires like these can be.

"i never thought a fire can get out that big, i thought the camp fire was enough, but i guess not."

"it was an oppurtunity to remind the president that 57% of the forested land in the state of california is under federal jurisdiction, just 3% under the state's jurisdiction."

The governor and president trump met in sacramento before newsom arrived in butte county, and discussed combining resources and information in the future.

"we can't do this alone, we're going to need the federal government to step up in substantial ways."

Newsom said california more than doubled it's active forest management to a modest 390,000 acres.

"the federak governement was even more modest, they actively manage 200,000 acres.

That's inadequate to this state."

Newsom announced there is a stewardship between the state and the u-s forest service to get to a million acres a year in active forest management.

But with this fire season at over 3 million, newsom says it's a step forward but millions of acres is the goal not just a million.

Alan, back to you.

We have the full raw press conference with governor newsom on our website action news now dot com, just click on news and go go to news links.