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 back the disaster aid request.
“Make no mistake, Los Angeles will use this money wisely,” Newsom assured the top lawmakers. “California will ensure that funds will serve individuals, communities, property owners, and businesses that suffered losses from these devastating fires.”
Key Republicans including Johnson have argued that there should be strings attached to California wildfire aid to ensure that more robust mitigation efforts are in place.
One top grievance has been regulatory hurdles from the California Coastal Commission, which is in charge of permitting on a large portion of the state’s coastline. Trump has previously harped on the coastal commission, including during his visit to California last month.
On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order to ease restrictions on the Endangered Species Act to make it easier to clear timber and ensure that similar projects aren’t bogged down by environmental and regulatory delays.
