In part one, I gave a brief overview of how Californians are being irreparably harmed by politicians ignoring the scientific consensus regarding forest maintenance.
Despite urgent warnings from fire scientists, progress from government officials has been erratic. On his first day as California’s new governor in 2019, Gavin Newsom was the voice of hope, promising to prioritize and expand forest maintenance.
However, an investigation conducted in June 2021 revealed Governor Newsom had overstated fire prevention work completed since his time in office by 690% and had in fact, slashed $150 million from Cal Fire’s wildfire prevention budget.1
Another major impediment to prescribed burning is the issue of air quality. Carbon emissions from a wildfire are classified as an uncontrollable “act of God.” However, carbon emissions from controlled burns are considered human induced and are subject to strict environmental laws and regulations.
Just one small controlled burn requires thousands of hours of planning to navigate through Sacramento’s government bureaucracy and frequently involves litigation. Fire experts have called the process too cumbersome and overly complicated.2
California prides itself on its commitment to combat climate change, having by far the strictest environmental regulations of all fifty states. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a landmark law that was intended to protect landscapes. It is largely responsible for the high cost of living in California and created the massive bureaucracy mentioned above.
To streamline and speed up the forest management approval process from this bureaucracy, the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) was launched in January of 2020 by the Newsom Administration. The state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated that CalVTP would complete 45,000 acres of forest management in its first year.
Presently, more than two years since it’s inception, CalVTP hasn’t completed a single project.3
The massive amount of carbon emitted from the wildfires completely overshadows the carbon savings that expensive environmental regulations provide. The carbon monoxide emitted by California wildfires in 2020 was the equivalent of having an additional 24.2 million cars on the roads.4
Simply put, the massive environmental bureaucracy in California does nothing to reduce carbon but does create the highest cost of living in the United States.
As the federal government owns 58% of California’s forestlands, the U.S. Department of Forestry is often blamed for the inadequate maintenance.
However, in 2001, Congress created the Good Neighbor Act, allowing the U.S. Forest Service to partner with states, counties and Native American tribes on forest management. Partner governments can assist, or even take the lead, on projects located on federal land. These partners then receive direct compensation from the federal government.5
State and local government officials must be much more proactive about using this program, as well as working with California’s congressional delegation, to restore federal land located in California.
All too often, politicians do not take the most beneficial action, but the one that provides the best optics. Several reasons for inaction from our elected leaders have been suggested, ranging from mere ignorance to more sinister motives, such as the embezzlement of federal emergency disaster funds.
But one thing is clear: forest management is very unpopular among California’s voting constituency. To support it is to take on, at best, enormous political risk.
This is in addition to incurring the wrath of activists, the media and the wealthy donors that politicians depend on to remain viable candidates for reelection.
California desperately needs courageous leadership, willing and able to bridge the conflict between the self-motivated interests of policy makers, concerned residents and the scientific community.
Until then, Californians nervously await the next catastrophic wildfire, certain of one thing.
It didn’t have to get this bad.
Associated Press, Gov. Newsom overstated fire prevention work, June 23, 2021
Fuller Thomas, The Meaning and History of a Controlled Burn, The New York Times, May 19, 2021
Rodd, Scott, Newsom hailed this critical wildfire-prevention program, CapRadio, April 12, 2022
Dooley, Emily, California’s 2020 Wildfire Emissions Akin to 24 Million Cars, Bloomberg, January 5, 2021
Congressional Research Service, In Focus, October 5, 2020