Newsom moves to clear flammable brush from California forests after Trumps criticism over wildfire policies
California Gov.Gavin Newsom tapped into his emergency powers Saturday to roll back environmental regulations so that the state can speed up wildfire prevention projects, including clearing flammable brush out of forests, following criticism from President Trump.Newsom, 57, suspended the enforcement of regulations in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act and streamlined the process for government entities to clear up potential fuel for wildfires.“This year has already seen some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and we’re only in March,” Newsom said in a statement.
“We’re taking action with a state of emergency to fast-track critical wildfire projects even more.”“These are the forest management projects we need to protect our communities most vulnerable to wildfire, and we’re going to get them done.”Newsom is said he is hoping to speed up wildfire prevention measures including building fire breaks, removing vegetation and trees from high risk areas and executing controlled burns to pre-empt wildfires and deprive them of fuel.The Golden State governor took similar steps back in 2019 in the aftermath not long after Camp Fire tore through the Town of Paradise, killing at least 85 people.Additionally, Newsom is calling on state agencies to issue recommendations on how to further ramp up the tempo and “scale of prescribed fire,” in which officials deliberately set fires in an area in order to reduce the risks of extreme wildfires.Trump, 78, and other Republican critics have long called on California to step up its wildfire prevention efforts.
Newsom’s actions come as he is pushing for Congress to greenlight almost $40 billion in disaster aid in the aftermath of wildfires devastating the Los Angeles area, and killing at least 29 people.Last month, the governor had penned a letter to key leaders in the House, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and top appropriators, urging them to b...