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 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