By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-10 15:56:47 | Updated at 2025-01-10 20:05:57
4 hours ago
Gavin Newsom is coming under fire for slashing California's funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million less than a year before devastating fires tore through Los Angeles.
The California Governor signed the budget cuts into law in June 2024, severing funding from seven programs focused on preventing and battling potential wildfires in the state, reports Newsweek.
Cuts included a $5 million decrease to the CAL FIRE fuel reduction teams, which included funding to pay for vegetation management work by the California National Guard, an analysis by the outlet found.
The total for the program was stripped to $129 million, amid claims that the state failed to clear brush and forestry that may have stopped the spread of some fires.
Newsom's budget cuts also slashed $4 million from a forest legacy program intended to promote management practices for landowners, and $28 million from funding for state conservancies aimed at increasing wildfire resistance.
A further $8 million was cut from monitoring and research programs that reportedly largely went to CAL FIRE, and $3 million from an interagency forest data hub.
A pilot program intended to make homes more resilient to wildfires through a hardening scheme also had its funding cut by $12 million.
It comes as Newsom has come under scrutiny for his handling of the disaster in recent days, with Donald Trump calling on the Governor and expected 2028 presidential contender to resign while furious residents screamed at him as he surveyed damage.
Gavin Newsom is coming under fire for slashing California's funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million less than a year before devastating fires tore through Los Angeles
Firefighters are battling a series of major blazes that have killed at least five people, destroyed communities and forced thousands to flee
Trump's call for Newsom to resign comes as the president-elect pointed to Newsom's focus on 'delta smelt', a three-inch fish native to the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in California.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump argues that Governor Gavin Newsom's smelt conservation efforts have stopped water from being delivered to farmers and major cities.
The water system used by the state to fight the wildfires - that have so far burned over 10,000 buildings and killed at least 10 people - struggled and in some places failed under the strain.
The demand for water was so high that it wasn't enough to refill the tanks in hilly Pacific Palisades that help pressurize hydrants for the neighborhood.
Trump blasted the Democratic Governor on social media and specifically targeted the smelt - the fish which the pair have traded barbs over since Trump's first term.
'Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Delta Smelt (pictured) is a slender-bodied, silvery fish that is about three inches long and native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
'He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid,' Trump continued.
'I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!'
Newsom's director of communications Izzy Gardon said in a statement after Trump's rant: 'There is no such document as the water restoration declaration, that is pure fiction. The governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.'
The California Governor also directly addressed his back-and-forth with Trump on Wednesday to CNN, adding: 'People are literally fleeing.
'People have lost their lives, kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder, churches burned down, and this guy wanted to politicize it. I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say—I won't.'
The unprecedented fires have so far burned over 10,000 buildings and killed at least 10 people, with officials warning they expect the death toll to continue to rise
Residents search for valuables among the rubbles of their burnt houses during Eaton wildfire in Altadena of Los Angeles County
Smelt are considered an indicator species for the health of the Delta ecosystem, and are listed as critically endangered due to water pumping, water quality, habitat reduction and the introduction of nonnative species.
The species' presence in the water system has diminished in recent years, with some experts blaming the shrinking water supply from droughts and diversion methods.
The population began decreasing in the 1980s and a 2018 survey showed zero wild smelt in the Delta, reported ABC10.
In 2022, nearly 13,000 smelt were released into the water, but none of them returned in a sampling period over 61 days. This led to concerns from scientists about the conditions of the water.
Newsom has supported plans that prioritize water allocations to restore the fish population by sending water into the ocean rather that diverting to other areas of the state.
In December, the Biden administration and state officials announced a new plan that adjusts water allocations for cities and some farms, according to Cal Matters.
