Gavin Newsom cut fire budget by $100m last year while giving more water to tiny tribal fish

Gavin Newsom is coming under fire for cutting California’s funding for wildfires and forest resilience by $101 million, less than a year before devastating fires tore through Los Angeles.

California’s governor signed the cuts in June 2024, eliminating funding for seven programs aimed at preventing and combating potential wildfires in the state, Newsweek reports.

The cuts include a $5 million reduction for CAL FIRE’s fuel reduction teams, including funding for California National Guard vegetation management funding, an analysis by the outlet found.

The total for the program was reduced to $129 million amid claims that the state had failed to clear forests and forests that may have stopped the spread of some fires.

Newsom’s budget cuts also cut $4 million from a forest heritage program intended to promote management practices for landowners and cut $28 million from funding for state conservation organizations aimed at increasing wildfire resilience.

Another $8 million was cut from monitoring and research programs, much of which reportedly went to CAL FIRE, and $3 million from an interdepartmental forest data hub.

A pilot program designed to make homes more resilient to wildfires through a hardening program also had its funding cut by $12 million.

It comes as Newsom has come under scrutiny in recent days for his handling of the disaster, with Donald Trump calling on the governor and expecting the presidential candidate to resign in 2028, while angry residents shouted at him as he surveyed the damage brought.

Firefighters are battling a series of major blazes that have killed at least five people, destroyed communities and forced thousands to flee

Trump’s call for Newsom to resign comes as the president-elect pointed to Newsom’s focus on “delta smelt,” a four-inch fish native to California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump argues that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s smelt conservation efforts have cut off water supplies to farmers and major cities.

The water system used by the state to fight the wildfires — which have so far burned more than 10,000 buildings and killed at least 10 people — was struggling, failing in some places under the pressure.

The demand for water was so high that it wasn’t enough to refill the tanks in the hilly Pacific Palisades that were pressurizing the neighborhood’s fire hydrants.

Trump criticized the Democratic governor on social media, specifically targeting the smelt — the fish over which the pair have traded barbs since Trump’s first term.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water recovery declaration presented to him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snowmelt from the north to flow daily to many parts of California, including areas currently in be on fire. in an almost apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Delta Smelt (pictured) is a slender, silvery fish about two inches long and native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but he didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid,” Trump continued.

“I will demand that this incompetent governor keep nice, clean, fresh water flowing to CALIFORNIA! He is to blame for this. Moreover, there is no water for fire hydrants and no fire-fighting aircraft. A real disaster!’

Newsom’s communications director Izzy Gardon said in a statement after Trump’s tirade: “There is no such document as the water restoration statement, which is pure fiction.” The governor is focused on keeping people safe, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.”

The California governor also addressed CNN directly in his conversation with Trump on Wednesday, adding: “People are literally running.

“People have lost their lives, children have lost their schools. Families were completely torn apart, churches were burned down, and this man wanted to politicize it. I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say, but I don’t.’

The unprecedented fires have so far burned more than 10,000 buildings and killed at least 10 people. Officials warned they expect the death toll to continue to rise.

Residents search for valuables among the rubble of their burned homes during the Eaton Wildfire in Altadena, Los Angeles County

Smelt is considered an indicator species for the health of the Delta ecosystem and is listed as critically endangered due to water pumping, water quality, habitat reduction and the introduction of non-native species.

The species’ presence in the water system has declined in recent years, with some experts blaming the shrinking water supply on droughts and diversion methods.

The population began to decline in the 1980s, and a 2018 study found that wild smelt are no longer found in the Delta, ABC10 reports.

Nearly 13,000 smelt were released into the water in 2022, but none returned in a 61-day sampling period. This led to concerns from scientists about the condition of the water.

Newsom has supported plans that prioritize water allocations to restore fish populations by sending water into the ocean rather than diverting it to other parts of the state.

According to Cal Matters, the Biden administration and state officials announced a new plan in December that adjusts water allocations for cities and some farms.