The Trump administration is facing criticism for delaying funding for wildfire mitigation projects, threatening efforts to prevent catastrophic blazes. The decision contradicts Trump's previous calls for communities to clear combustible materials from forests.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is holding up money for wildfire mitigation projects funded through legislation championed by his Democratic predecessor, threatening efforts to prevent catastrophic blazes like the ones that recently ravaged parts of California.
The decision undermines Trump’s repeated insistence that communities need to clear combustible materials like fallen branches and undergrowth — “it’s called management of the floor,” he said while visiting Los Angeles last month — to guard against wildfires. Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the Interior Department, said via email that mitigation work is “currently undergoing review to ensure consistency” with Trump’s executive orders. The scrutiny is being applied only to projects using money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, two centerpieces of former President Joe Biden’s administration. \These projects were designed to reduce the risk of wildfires and improve forest health. Delays in funding could have a significant impact on communities vulnerable to wildfires, as they may be unable to implement crucial prevention measures. The holding up of funds comes at a time when the West is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires
Wildfire Mitigation Trump Administration Biden Administration Funding Delays Climate Change Forest Management
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