WASHINGTON — House Democrats representing West Coast states are warning about the impact staffing and spending cuts at the U.S. Forest Service – part of the Trump administration's far-reaching initiative led by Elon Musk to shrink the size of the federal government – could have on efforts to manage wildfires.
More than six dozen House Democrats signed onto a letter led by House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman of California, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., and Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., sent to the Trump administration on Wednesday seeking answers on the firing of 3,400 U.S. Forest Service employees – as reported by multiple outlets – and urging a swift reversal of the move.
“These cuts, compounded by the decision to freeze federal funding for a long list of critical programs and grants, could leave our public lands more vulnerable than ever to the threat of wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change,” the Democrats wrote in the letter address to President Donald Trump and his Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
The lawmakers noted that Southern California in particular is coming off of wildfires that ravaged the region, also noting that blazes in Oregon last year broke records in terms of acres scorched.
“These tragedies underscore the urgent need for ongoing community risk reduction and wildfire mitigation strategies that the U.S. Forest Service is tasked with carrying out,” the House Democrats wrote.
The went on to argue that a reduction in Forest Service staff puts such efforts in jeopardy with the heat of wildfire season – generally considered the summer and fall months – right around the corner.
“The loss of skilled employees, many of whom possess specialized training in modern wildfire prevention techniques, will have lasting effects on the U.S. Forest Service’s ability to respond to the growing threat of wildfires,” the letter reads. “It is particularly concerning that many of those laid off were probationary employees who were actively involved in these critical projects.”
Among the questions House Democrats listed for the Trump administration include exactly how many Forest Service employees have been fired, how the administration plans to address any potential disruptions in wildfire management efforts due to terminations and what federal funding for risk reduction plans will look like.
In an interview with Spectrum News earlier on Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said the Trump administration is focused on taking steps to ensure the fires that tore through Los Angeles and surrounding areas last month cannot occur again.
“It’s going to be important that we are proactively leaning into forest management , that we have the water resources abundantly ready,” he said.
Asked about potential conditions being placed on aid to California from the Trump administration to help that state with fire recovery efforts, Zeldin said they could involve requiring steps to be taken designed to prevent a similar situation in the future.
Spectrum News' Taylor Popielarz contributed to this report.
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