A recent review of California’s state budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year reveals that Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom cut over $100 million from wildfire and forest resilience programs, according to a report from Newsweek. This revelation comes as California battles devastating wildfires that have destroyed more than 10,000 structures in the Los Angeles area, with the blazes still uncontained.
The reductions included:
- $5 million cut from fuel reduction teams, impacting vegetation management by Cal Fire and the California National Guard.
- $28 million eliminated from state conservancies dedicated to wildfire resilience.
- $12 million cut from a “home hardening” experiment aimed at protecting homes from wildfires.
- $8 million removed from monitoring and research programs, including funding for Cal Fire and state universities.
- $4 million cut from the Forest Legacy Program, which promotes sustainable land management by private landowners.
- $3 million reduced from funding for an inter-agency forest data hub.
Critics argue that these cuts undermine California’s ability to prepare for and respond to increasingly destructive wildfires.
Governor Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon, dismissed the claims of budget cuts as a “ridiculous lie.” Gardon emphasized that the administration has significantly increased wildfire management funding and resources since Newsom took office in 2019, including doubling the firefighting workforce and building the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet. However, Gardon did not address the specific cuts outlined in the report.
The controversy highlights growing concerns over how California allocates resources to combat the escalating wildfire crisis, particularly as residents and officials grapple with the current devastation.
