As wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles County, questions have arisen regarding California Governor Gavin Newsom's allocation of funds for wildfire prevention and forest management. Reports indicate that the state's 2024-25 fiscal year budget, enacted in June, saw a reduction of $101 million across seven programs related to wildfire and forest resilience. This decrease comes just months before the outbreak of the current devastating fires.
The specific cuts include a $5 million reduction for Cal Fire's fuel reduction teams, impacting resources for vegetation management performed by the California National Guard. Further reductions encompass $28 million from various state conservancies involved in wildfire resilience, $12 million from a home protection program, $8 million from research and monitoring, $4 million from a forest management program for landowners, and $3 million from a forest data hub.
Newsom's administration has countered these claims, emphasizing a substantial increase in overall fire protection spending and personnel since the governor assumed office in 2019. Data from the state budget reveals a significant rise in fire protection allocations, from just over $2 billion and 5,829 employees in 2018-2019 to $3.79 billion and 10,742 employees in the current budget. The administration maintains that the governor has prioritized firefighting resources, significantly expanding both ground crews and aerial firefighting capabilities, and has increased forest management efforts tenfold. However, these figures do not directly address the recent budget reductions highlighted in the reports.
The ongoing wildfires have caused widespread destruction, consuming over 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area. As firefighting efforts continue, the debate over wildfire funding and resource allocation remains a critical point of discussion.
