On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we look at how Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government have left the country’s wildland firefighting force unprepared for the rapidly approaching wildfire season.
According to Propublica, the administration has frozen funds, including money appropriated by Congress, and issued a deluge of orders eliminating federal employees, which has thrown agencies tasked with battling blazes into disarray as individual offices and managers struggle to interpret the directives. The uncertainty has limited training and postponed work to reduce flammable vegetation in areas vulnerable to wildfire. It has also left some firefighters with little choice but to leave the force, their colleagues said.
ProPublica spoke to a dozen firefighters and others who assist with the federal wildfire response across the country and across agencies. They described a range of immediate impacts on a workforce that was already stressed by budgetary woes predating the Trump administration. Hiring of some seasonal workers has stalled. Money for partner nonprofits that assist with fuel-reduction projects has been frozen. And crews that had traveled to support prescribed burns in Florida were turned back, while those assisting with wildfire cleanup in California faced confusion over how long they would be allowed to do that work.
Guest:
Mark Olalde, award winning reporter covering the environment for Propublica
Resources:
Propublica: How Trump’s Federal Funding and Hiring Freezes Are Leaving America Vulnerable to Catastrophic Wildfire
ABC: Fired US Forest Service and National Park Service workers say cuts will be felt on fire lines
The Washington Post: Long lines and canceled rentals: Firings bring chaos to national parksLong lines and canceled rentals: Firings bring chaos to national parks
