Sierra Club: Trump’s Wildfire Executive Order Would Deregulate Forest Management, Stretch Limited Agency Resources

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Donald Trump issued an executive orderthat adds more burden and uncertainty to federal land management agencies while laying groundwork for further reduction of protections for forests.

The order lays out short timelines for major agency actions and restructuring across multiple federal offices, which have been decimated by layoffs in recent months, in the name of wildfire preparedness. Within 90 days, the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior are tasked with consolidating their wildfire programs. Within 180 days, agencies are required to identify federal rules that "impede wildfire prevention, detection, or response" and consider eliminating or revising those rules.

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has consistently pursued policies friendly to the timber industry. Among his flurry of Day One executive orders was an order opening the door to undoing the roadless rule, which protects critical forest areas from industrial development. He has also drastically cut the U.S. Forest Service and other land management agencies, slashing budgets and firing thousands of staffers - including staff who were trained to engage in firefighting and fire mitigation efforts. Meanwhile, fire season has already begun in parts of the western United States, with some figures showing a 30 percent increase over annual averages.

In response, Alex Craven, Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager, released the following statement:

"It is beyond ironic to see the Trump administration talk about 'reckless mismanagement' and 'disregard for commonsense.' The wildfire crisis is a serious issue that requires a staffed, funded, and fully operational U.S. Forest Service - and other land management agencies - to conduct work before and during fire seasons. Instead of using commonsense, this administration has conducted massive layoffs of the critically important staff who work to forecast, mitigate, and defend against wildfires. These are not the actions of an administration that is serious about taking on the wildfire crisis, and it is leaving communities, our forests, and the wildlife that rely on them in serious jeopardy."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.