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How Trump’s federal funding and hiring freezes are leaving America vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire By Mark Olalde, ProPublica
VOL. 11,
NO. 212
County supports bill for park improvements in Chino Agricultural Preserve By Staff
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Pedal boats are a popular attraction on the lake at Prado Regional Park. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County
A confusion over how long they would be allowed to do that work. “Uncertainty is at an all-time high. Morale is at an all-time low,” one federal wildland firefighter said. Multiple federal employees asked not to be named because of their fear of retribution from the White House. In two separate lawsuits, judges issued temporary restraining orders against
recent state Senate bill seeks to conserve open space and expand parks and recreation facilities in the Chino Agricultural Preserve, officials announced. San Bernardino County officials issued a statement Thursday supporting Senate Bill 360 which seeks to unlock long-restricted Proposition 70 funding for park, cultural and open space upgrades, such as improvements to Prado Regional Park. Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Azusa, introduced the legislation Feb. 13, and the bill drew strong support by county Supervisor Curt Hagman “This bill will bring critical enhancements to our parks, recreational facilities, and cultural spaces within the Chino Agricultural Preserve, enriching the quality of life for residents and strengthening community connections,” Hagman said in a statement. “These improvements will also boost local tourism and economic growth, and we appreciate Senator Rubio’s leadership in advancing this important initiative for San Bernardino County.”
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Photo from Eaton Fire. | Photo courtesy of Cal Fire CC BY-NC 2.0
P
resident Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government, launched as the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires burned across Los Angeles, have left the country’s wildland firefighting force unprepared for the rapidly approaching wildfire season. 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
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