California’s landmark environmental laws will be suspended for wildfire victims looking to rebuild their homes and businesses, according to an executive order signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Building Permit and Review Requirements California Environmental Quality Act and california coastal law The order says developers often consider it a hassle, but it will be alleviated for fire victims in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other communities.

“California leads the nation in environmental stewardship, and I’m not going to give that up,” Newsom told Jacob Soboroff on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But one thing I am non-negotiable is delay. Delay is a denial to people, lives, traditions and places are torn apart and torn apart.”

Dan Dunmoyer, president and CEO of the California Building Industry Association, said the governor’s actions represent an early and strong statement about the future of these regions. Dunmoyer said Newsom has made clear the state intends to encourage homeowners to move back to their hometowns rather than consider housing development too risky.

“He put down a marker to say we’re going to rebuild these communities,” Dunmoyer said.

Exemptions from the Environmental Quality Act and Coastal Act, known as CEQA, could shorten the process by years for homeowners in the Palisades, but building permits issued by local governments remain another major hurdle. He said it would be.

“Those two banners are important,” Dunmoyer said of the state law, “but if local people don’t come up with an expedited process, we could get stuck there.”

Newsom’s order requires the state housing agency to work with affected cities and counties to develop new licensing rules that would allow all licenses to be issued within 30 days.

In the wake of the fire, housing analysts are renewing calls for the city of Los Angeles to speed up the process. a Research results for 2023 revealed The average apartment unit in the city took five years to complete, and a significant portion of that time involved bureaucratic approvals.

Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged the problem and promised the city would speed up permitting.

“We will eliminate red tape, unnecessary delays, costs and headaches that people experience in peacetime, allowing them to rebuild their homes quickly,” Bass said at a press conference Thursday. .

Bass reiterated that promise during a Sunday morning news conference, praising the governor’s actions and saying he plans to announce details of the initiative this week. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Berger, who represents Altadena, similarly praised the governor’s executive order.

“I want to thank the governor for listening to my requests and taking swift action to ensure that our residents are not burdened with unnecessary demands as we begin the recovery and reconstruction process,” said Berger, a Republican.

But many Republican lawmakers in the state said Newsom’s order is too little, too late.

“Wildfire victims deserve more from Gavin Newsom, whose record includes lies and underfunding about wildfire prevention efforts and how he and local Democratic leaders We owe Angelenos answers as to why they were so unprepared for these devastating wildfires,” said California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Milan Patterson. “No more blame games and excuses. We need accountability from this governor and we need it now.”

Environmentalists also pointed out that the governor’s executive order restates an existing section of the Coastal Act that provides exemptions for fire protection reconstruction.

The California Coastal Commission is tasked with coordinating with local authorities in enforcing coastal laws. It was pointed out last week Under state law, rebuilding homes, businesses, and most other structures destroyed in a disaster is exempt from regular coastal development permits as long as the new building is located in the same location and is no more than 10 percent larger. has already been clearly defined. higher than the destroyed structure.

During the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which caused extensive damage in Malibu and surrounding areas, the commission worked with city and county officials to help homeowners rebuild. Coastal officials also noted that over the years, the commission has processed hundreds of “disaster reconstruction exemptions” in other coastal areas that the commission directly regulates in response to other catastrophic natural disasters. He also mentioned that.

“When the time comes to rebuild, both the Coastal Act and the governor’s executive order provide clear guidance to quickly and easily replace lost structures,” Kate Huckelbridge, the commission’s executive director, said in a statement. We will provide a path forward.” “Our hearts go out to all of the Los Angeles area residents whose homes and communities were destroyed by this horrific fire.”

President-elect Donald Trump and other conservatives have accused California’s Newsom and other Democratic leaders of adopting environmental policies they say laid the foundation for this month’s historic destruction. President Trump called Newsom “incompetent” and said he should resign, making false statements about water diversions being used to protect small fish and Federal Emergency Management Agency policies.

“Fires are still raging in Los Angeles, and incompetent police don’t know how to put them out.” President Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday night:his social media platforms. “Thousands of great homes are gone and many more will be lost soon. There is death everywhere. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country. I can’t erase it. What’s wrong with them?”

Trump’s transition team did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

Newsom said in an interview on NBC that he asked the president-elect to come see the devastation firsthand, as Berger did Saturday.

“We want to do it in the spirit of an open hand, not a clenched fist. He’s the next president,” Newsom said. “I respect the office.”

Newsom said he is concerned about how long it will take to rebuild, although he noted that many of the buildings that survived the fire were likely built to modern building codes. His executive order therefore eliminates some CEQA requirements and amends provisions of the Coastal Act to prevent property tax assessments from increasing for people who rebuild.

CEQA was signed into law by then-Gov. In 1970, President Ronald Reagan was in the middle of the environmental movement. The Coastal Act was enacted in response to a landmark voter proposal in 1972. The proposal builds on an intense statewide effort to protect the coast from unchecked development and catastrophic oil spills like the 1969 Santa Barbara disaster, which was considered an “environmental problem heard around the world.” led by. ”

Both parties have faced challenges for decades, and governors from both parties have argued for more than 40 years that CEQA reform is needed. Some of the law’s requirements were temporarily suspended by executive orders issued by Newsom during the pandemic. Now, he insists, it’s that time again.

Asked on a news program whether this month’s wildfires were the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, Newsom said that while he noted that recent fires had caused more loss of life, “the costs associated with it… I think it’s from that perspective.” In terms of scale and scope. ”

He called for California’s version of the Marshall Plan, the U.S. effort to rebuild Western Europe after World War II.

“We already have a team looking to reimagine LA 2.0, and we are making sure that everyone is included, not just those along the coast, but also those here who have been affected by this disaster. ” he said.