In the era of Donald Trump and wildfires, do environmental rules even matter? | Opinion
The catastrophe of wildfire is creating some interesting politics in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and the former mayor of San Francisco, America’s liberal center, has waived environmental reviews and permitting requirements to allow Los Angeles wildfire victims to rebuild their homes with less oversight and regulation.
On Monday he issued a new executive order suspending the Coastal Commission from regulating the rebuilding projects for homes in the coastal zone that were destroyed. “We will not let over-regulation stop us from helping the LA community rebuild and recover,” Newsom said in a statement aimed at a state agency known for being challenging.
It is remarkable that Newsom put the Coastal Commission in a choke hold. Over-regulation is the charge Republicans have leveled at the commission for years.
On Jan. 23, the House of Representatives passed the “Fix Our Forests” Act. Formally known as House Resolution 471, it too does away with environmental review when forests need to be thinned out to reduce the danger of wildfires.
Three GOP representatives for the San Joaquin Valley — Bakersfield’s Vince Fong, Hanford’s David Valadao and Tom McClintock of Modesto — predictably backed it. But so did Democrat Jim Costa of Fresno.
“Our nation’s forests are critically overgrown,” Costa said on the House floor while seeking support for the bill. “We need better management, that is clear. These common-sense changes are necessary to prevent wildfires for generations to come.“
“Common-sense changes”? That is also phrasing Republicans have used over the years.
What’s going on here? Given Republican Donald Trump’s win in November, are Democrats adjusting their politics to meet the moment?
Maybe a better question is this: Are environmental rules that have guided development for over half century still relevant when wildfires burn whole communities and forests?
Wildfires and overgrown forests
Of California’s top 20 largest wildfires, 10 have occurred since 2020. Overgrown forests are one reason. The Fix Our Forests Act aims to change that reality.
It would have the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and native tribes identify the “firesheds,” or landscapes, that are most ready to ignite. A Fireshed Center would be established and staffed by Forest Service and US Geological Survey officials. They will use data and artificial intelligence to determine where wildfires are most likely to break out.
Assessments of dangers in fire prone areas will be made, and projects that reduce those dangers — like clearing dead or hazardous trees — will get top priority. Grazing by livestock to chomp down grasses and weeds will be encouraged.
Protecting habitat, even that of endangered species, is of secondary importance, the act says.
The act also says “vegetation management” plans would not need environmental reviews, and limits would be put on potential lawsuits for environmental harm.
An environmental group, the Defenders of Wildlife, came out strongly against the bill before the House vote.
“This is nothing more than a bill of goods that will do little of anything to combat fires and instead plays favorites with the timber industry, which is hungry to consume more of our forests,” said Robert Dewey, the group’s vice president of government relations.
The House passed the measure 279 to 141. It now moves to the Senate.
California’s Republican legislators also want to get in on the act. On Tuesday the state’s Assembly GOP leaders announced a series of bills intended to make wildfire prevention easier to accomplish.
In particular, Assemblymember Bill Essayli of Corona is promoting a bill, ABX1 7, to exempt all projects to reduce wildfire dangers from California’s environmental rules.
Republicans are a superminority in the state Legislature, so it is likely Essayli’s bill won’t move forward.
Reason for environmental rules
Environmental laws to protect species, be they plants or animals, exist for a reason: To keep mankind from exterminating creatures and polluting the planet, the only home for humans.
But recent history shows how the rules meant to protect nature can also be abused to stop almost anything from being built.
How the stress of wildfires changes the way we consider environmental regulations will be something to watch in the coming years. Trump wants to wave his hand to make such rules go away. That’s not right. But giving a blanket waiver as Newsom has done may not work well, either.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "In the era of Donald Trump and wildfires, do environmental rules even matter? | Opinion."