A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the West has introduced a bill to combat "catastrophic" wildfires and overhaul forest management.

Why it matters: Climate change and drought are causing wildfires to become more intense, widespread and harder to put out.

• The legislation comes after the Los Angeles County blazes in January were called one of the costliest wildfire events in U.S. history, with estimated damages reaching up to $131 billion.

State of play: Some highlights of the Fix Our Forests Act — sponsored by Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) —are:

• Reducing wildfire risks in certain areas with more cross-boundary collaboration.
• Creating an interagency program to help communities build wildfire-resistant measures.
• Starting a "fireshed registry" that provides interactive geospatial data about fire exposure and hazardous fuel management.

By the numbers: So far this year, Cal Fire has responded to 653 incidents that have burned nearly 60,000 acres, killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,250 structures.

• 95% of California wildfires are caused by people, per Cal Fire.

What they're saying: As the state faces more frequent and catastrophic wildfires, this bill "prioritizes building fire-resilient communities, accelerating the removal of hazardous fuels, and strengthening coordination across federal, state, and tribal agencies," Padilla said in a statement.

• About half of California's land is managed by the federal government, according to California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot.

Zoom in: Though San Francisco isn't as prone to wildfires as other parts of the state, Cal Fire previously designated a small portion of the Crocker Amazon neighborhood as a high fire hazard severity area, per the city and county's Office of Resilience and Capital Planning.

• Mounts Sutro and Davidson, as well as Yerba Buena Island, are also considered moderate fire hazard severity areas.

The big picture: Nationally, almost 9 million acres burned in 2024 due to wildfires, a 231% increase compared to 2.7 million acres burned in 2023.

Go deeper

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's most-anticipated party of the year returns next Wednesday with an evening of interactive art, live music, pop-up exhibits and colorful fashion.

Why it matters: Art Bash is the museum's biggest annual fundraiser, helping raise more than $2 million.

• The proceeds go towards funding free community events like First Thursdays and education and family programs, which help support access to the arts for about 150,000 people every year.

What they're saying: "Once a year, SFMOMA transforms the museum into an artistic playground where 2,000 arts enthusiasts gather to celebrate our vibrant creative community," Kellee Dawkins, SFMOMA's director of events told Axios.

What to expect: An artist-designed dinner experience, live auction, art installations, musical performances, giveaways and a late-night fashion show will be featured in the festivities.

• Actor and rapper Zack Fox, who stars in the comedy "Abbott Elementary," will be headlining as a DJ at the post-dinner party.
• Other acts include Bay Area local DJ Lady Ryan and soul singer Martin Luther.

If you go: 6pm–1am on April 23 at 151 3rd St. 21+ only. Tickets start at $95.

🏢 LinkedIn purchased a 120,000-square-foot building near its Sunnyvale headquarters for $75 million. (SF Chronicle)

🍺 San Francisco's Fort Point Beer Co. is merging with Sonoma County's HenHouse Brewing Co. and moving production to Santa Rosa. (SF Standard)

The Warriors locked up the No. 7 seed after beating the Memphis Grizzlies last night in the Play-In Tournament. (ESPN)

Federal immigration authorities have terminated the visas of dozens of international students and at least four recent graduates from Bay Area universities in recent weeks amid a wave of surprise revocations sweeping across campuses nationwide.

The big picture: The Trump administration has moved beyond penalizing international students over pro-Palestinian activism and stripped scores of students' visas without explanation, experts told Axios.

• The actions are taking place at schools of all sizes, including four Bay Area schools.

Zoom in: San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney said in an email last week that one current international student and four recent graduates have had their visas revoked.

• The university is working on contacting students whose visa status has changed, offering virtual and in-person support services and free legal immigration help.

Between the lines: CSU East Bay has had four students affected as of Tuesday, university spokesperson Kimberly Hawkins told Axios.

• Stanford has reported six students and two recent graduates who have had their visas revoked as of Monday.
• As of the end of last week, a total of 23 students have had their visas revoked at UC Berkeley, according to university spokesperson Janet Gilmore.

What they're saying:"These actions create an uncertain and challenging environment for our campus community," UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons and provost Benjamin Hermalin wrote in an April 7 address to students.

What we're watching

San Francisco's newest park along Ocean Beach welcomed thousands of people during its opening weekend.

The latest: Sunset Dunes opened on April 11 to massive crowds as bicyclists, pedestrians and families strolled along the 2-mile stretch of the former Great Highway while local neighbors played live music.

• The 50-acre waterfront park running from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way features new art installations, murals, signage, sculptures and recreational areas.

Friction point: Not everyone who visited the park last Saturday welcomed the new addition. Droves of protestors and supporters of the recall against Supervisor Joel Engardio disrupted the festivities to protest the Great Highway's closure.

What's next: The park is still undergoing sand dune restoration and will soon be getting more seating, water fountains and other amenities.