Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, has responded to reports that Governor Gavin Newsom overstated California’s accomplishments on wildfire prevention.
On Thursday, Wilk reacted to an investigation conducted by Capitol Public Radio (CapRadio) and National Public Radio’s (NPR) California Newsroom which found that Newsom made misleading statements about the breadth of California’s accomplishments in wildfire prevention.
“This is a slap in the face to every Californian who has lost property or a loved one because of a wildfire,” Wilk said. “I am appalled to see the governor has misled California families about something so incredibly serious.”
Two and a half years ago, as wildfires were becoming more severe each year, Newsom signed an executive order to make changes to California’s approach to wildfire prevention, according to CapRadio representatives.
The investigation found Newsom had overstated the number of acres treated to prevent future wildfires by 690 percent.
The governor had said 90,000 acres of land had been treated with fire prevention methods, when California’s data shows only 11,399 acres had been treated.
Additionally, CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom found that California Fire’s (Cal Fire) fuel reduction dropped by 50 percent in Newsom’s second year in office after an initial increase during his first year as governor.
Newsom also reduced Cal Fire’s wildfire prevention budget by around $150 million, according to the investigation.
“Many Californians are afraid their homes will burn, while others are learning they will soon be unable to get homeowners insurance because of the risk of wildfire,” Wilk said.
See Related: Firefighters Battle Santa Clarita Brush Fire Near Via Princessa Metrolink Station
Three major wildfires have impacted the 21st Senate District in the last five years – the Sand Fire in 2016 that burned 41,432 acres, the Tick Fire in 2019 that resulted in massive Public Safety Power Shut-offs (PSPS) and evacuations, and the Lake Fire in 2020 that burned 31,089 acres, said a representative for Wilk.
“Democrats have mismanaged wildfire prevention efforts for decades and now news media outlets have exposed this governor’s incompetency to 40 million Californians,” Wilk said. “By overstating his accomplishments, this governor is again investing in himself, and not California. Add this to the list of things Newsom has botched.”
The full article by CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom can be found here.
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