History Listory

2017

2017-01-01 Trump proposed major budget cuts to the U.S. Forest Service.

https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/what-is-cut-in-trumps-usda-budget-a-lot-it-turns-out#:~:text=The%20White%20House%20budget%20proposal%20for%202017,of%20the%20Rural%20Business%20and%20Cooperative%20Service%E2%80%9D

https://forestpolicypub.com/2017/05/24/a-deeper-dive-into-trumps-forest-service-budget/#:~:text=May%2025%2C%202017%20May%2024,2%25)%20over%20last%20year.

https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/trump-budget/#:~:text=The%20budget%20%E2%80%9Creduces%20funding%20for,food%20safety%20and%20nutrition%20priorities.%E2%80%9D

https://www.wired.com/2017/03/trumps-trying-chainsaw-nearly-every-environmental-program/#:~:text=In%20another%20effort%20to%20reduce,Total%20cuts:%20$1.5%20billion

https://dailyyonder.com/presidents-proposed-budget-makes-deep-cuts-in-rural-programs/2017/03/16/#:~:text=You%20can%20make%20a%20tax,programs%2C%20such%20as%20land%20acquisition.

https://www.trcp.org/2017/03/16/trumps-proposed-budget-cut-conservation-right-needed/#:~:text=March%2016%2C%202017-,Slashed%20Budget%20Would%20Cut%20Conservation%20Right%20Where%20It’s%20Needed%20Most,outdoor%20recreation%20and%20tourism%20spending.

2018

2018-01-01 The Trump administration tried to eliminate the Joint Fire Science Program, which funds wildfire prevention and management research.

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/08/as-wildfires-rage-trump-administration-plans-to-slash-fire-science-funding/

https://thebulletin.org/2018/08/trump-fiddles-while-california-burns/

https://www.iawfonline.org/article/a-future-without-the-joint-fire-science-program/

2025 February

2025-02-01 The Trump administration froze congressionally approved funding for wildfire prevention programs.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-funding-freeze-wildfire-season

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-funding-freeze-halts-wildfire-prevention-work-2025-02-14/

https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-raises-alarm-on-trump-administration-illegally-blocking-hundreds-of-billions-in-federal-support/

2025-02-14 Approximately 3,400 Forest Service employees were fired. Remaining workers were encouraged to resign or take early retirement through the “Fork in the Road” program.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-forest-service-fires-3400-workers-park-service-cuts-1000-2025-02-14/

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-park-and-forest-rangers-are-being-fired-and-oil-and-gas-bosses-are-now-in-charge/

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11277#:~:text=On%20January%2028%2C%202025%2C%20federal,on%20standing%20and%20jurisdictional%20grounds.

https://www.eenews.net/articles/feds-flabbergasted-by-trumps-mass-resignation-scheme/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNo%20one%20I%20know%20is,in%20the%20email%20to%20staff.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/faq-what-to-know-about-trumps-plan-to-slash-the-federal-workforce/3828449/#:~:text=What’s%20the%20deferred%20resignation%20offer,to%20their%20offices%20full%2Dtime.

2025 June

2025-06-23 Trump rescinded the Roadless Rule, which protected 58 million acres of national forest, citing wildfire prevention and timber production.

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/23/g-s1-74136/trump-to-rescind-roadless-rule-which-protects-58-million-acres-of-forest-land 

2025 July

2025-07-01 The administration proposed a 65% budget cut to the U.S. Forest Service 2026 budget.

https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-blasts-us-forest-service-chief-for-trump-budget-that-guts-funding-for-wildfire-response-and-public-safety

https://www.republic.land/cuts-at-the-u-s-forest-service-put-communities-health-and-safety-on-the-line/#:~:text=Since%20January%202025%2C%20the%20Trump,work%20declined%20by%2038%20percent.

2025 September

2025-09-04 The DOJ blamed Southern California Edison for the Edison wildfires and sued them for $77M.

https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2025/09/edison-caused-eaton-fire-feds-say/

2026 March

2026-03-31 Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz announced additional cuts that would eliminate 75% of research, reduce wildlife and climate monitoring, shrink oversight of mining and logging, close nine regional offices, and relocate headquarters from Washington, D.C.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/u-s-forest-service-cuts-raise-concerns-on-protecting-public-lands-and-fighting-wildfires

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/4/20/forest_service

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/reorganization

https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/03/31/usda-prioritizing-common-sense-forest-management-moves-forest-service-headquarters-salt-lake-city

2026 April

2026-04-29 The Forest Service expanded the use of glyphosate-based herbicides, including Roundup, in public forests, particularly in California.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/roundup-glyphosate-spraying-forests-monsanto-science-retraction-cancer-health-concerns-maha-trump-executive-order-supreme-court-bayer-lawsuits/

https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/61577#

https://www.eenews.net/articles/concerns-grow-about-herbicide-use-in-wildfires-wake/

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/4/29/nate_halverson_roundup_glyphosate_us_forests

2026 May

2026-05-13 Trump withheld firefighting funds in Washington State just before fire season.

https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-grills-usfs-chief-on-trump-admin-withholding-wildfire-funds-crucial-for-wa-preparedness-ahead-of-peak-fire-season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z4WuWiqBTo&list=WL&index=5

SUB WALL https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/08/dei-dispute-wildfire-grants-washington-state-01028487

2026 July

2026-07-07 Utah’s Babylon Fire surpassed 100,000 acres, making it one of the largest wildfires in the nation.

https://www.fox13now.com/news/utah-wildfires/babylon-fire-tops-100-000-acres-as-monticello-residents-remain-on-alert

https://kutv.com/news/wildfire/firefighters-from-across-utah-deploy-to-fight-massive-babylon-cottonwood-wildfires

https://www.abc4.com/utah-weather/wildfire/babylon-fire-grows-over-100000-acres/

2026-07-16 Air quality readings reached hazardous levels in the Midwest and Northeastern states.

https://www.iqair.com/newsroom/midwest-and-northeast-us-air-quality-alert

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/dangerous-air-quality-in-detroit-minneapolis-as-thick-wildfire-smoke-shrouds-the-sky-for-millions/1911870

2026-07-17 Trump and Fox News blamed Canada for the wildfire smoke, saying pollution costs should be added to tariffs.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-blames-canada-wildfire-smoke-pollution-costs-tariffs

https://www.foxnews.com/world/canadian-wildfire-smoke-ignites-cross-border-feud-over-ottawas-willful-negligence

https://fox8.com/news/trump-says-canada-will-face-tariffs-over-wildfire-smoke-claiming-willful-negligence/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyq93j34lgo

https://www.reuters.com/world/ontario-buy-new-11-new-aircraft-very-difficult-wildfire-fight-2026-07-17/

2026-07-17 The Trump administration cut funding for targeted wildfire research.

https://futurism.com/science-energy/trump-cancelled-satellite-geoxo-noaa-monitoring-wildfire-smoke

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/fire-tech-california-trump-washington-dc-technology-wildfires-00996949

PAY WALL https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/climate/trump-wildfire-smoke-health-epa-forest-service.html

2026-07-18 Google-backed satellites for wildfire detection launched. This was after Trump defunded wildlife prevention services and dismantled a satellite program intended to track wildfire smoke and pollution.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/07/google-backed-satellites-for-wildfire-detection-launch-as-smoke-chokes-us-canada/

https://www.pcmag.com/news/these-google-backed-satellites-could-detect-wildfires-early

https://futurism.com/science-energy/trump-cancelled-satellite-geoxo-noaa-monitoring-wildfire-smoke

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5453731/nasa-carbon-dioxide-satellite-mission-threatened

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/fire-tech-california-trump-washington-dc-technology-wildfires-00996949

2026 August

2026-08-03 Two firefighters died in Athens Greece after firefighting helicopters collied.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cqjxeexpenzt

2026-08-12 Thousands of people were evacuated as wildfires tore through Washington State.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/us-wildfires-pacific-north-west

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoYrLNQsnVM

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2413085845847662

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z4WuWiqBTo&list=WL&index=5

2026-08-25 A natural disaster emergency response team was sent to Washington DC to work on Trump’s pet projects including the reflecting pool, fountain renovations, and removing debris on the East Potomac golf course. At the directive of Trump, around 300 workers will be used for private vanity projects and cleaning up Trump’s reflecting pool mess at the expense of taxpayers. Meanwhile the Western US confronted the most wildfires in a decade.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-national-parks-workers-dc-projects-b3038934.html

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/25/politics/doug-burgum-trump-washington-makeover