Try cutting down trees on your forested property in California. Environmental regulations can make that really tricky.
California should have regular wildfires. It's part of the ecosystem. Government regulations that prevent fires have created the tinder box we have now.
Living in Southern California is frustrating in that way. It's obvious that the plants here are adapted for regular fires. The native people of this area knew the importance of controlled burns and had incorporated them into their tradition. They likely were doing controlled burns for thousands of years before their lives were disrupted.
I think the most frustrating aspect of California is the capricious interpretation of laws. There isn't a clear way to ensure compliance. Louis Rossmann did a pretty good job demonstrating a similar issue with New York and the LeadsOnline reporting requirements. Often the people responsible for enforcing the laws, don't even know what the laws are and will often err on the side of fining people.
California should have regular wildfires. It's part of the ecosystem. Government regulations that prevent fires have created the tinder box we have now.