Some state environmental activists, though, were quick to criticize Newsom’s order, likening it to recent statements made by President Donald Trump, who blamed California’s fires on poor forest management, despite scientific evidence showing that climate change is a much greater factor.
“Gov. Newsom should reject the Trump approach of logging and rolling back critical environmental protections,” said Shaye Wolf, climate science director for the Center for Biological Diversity.
The center and other environmental groups said focusing on retrofitting and creating defensible space around homes is more effective than thinning forests, and that clearing trees might even create more danger by loosening soil that could cause mudslides.
Newsom also pledged $50 million for fire preparedness in low-income communities and invited the private sector to introduce innovative fire protection proposals.
The order, which will apply to 35 clearance projects in Northern and Central California over the coming year, allows fire officials to work around multiple state regulations. Those include provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, one of the nation’s strictest state-level regulations.
Newsom said sticking with the state’s normal forest management process would drastically slow down the ability to act.
“Some of these projects quite literally, not figuratively, could take two years to get done, or we could get them done in the next two months,” he said.
The union representing state firefighters praised Newsom’s plan.
“These circumstances are unusual, unpredictable, unseen in our lifetime, and courageous decisions that sometimes go against the political winds need to be made,” said Tim Edwards, president of CAL Fire Local 2881.
Senate Minority Leader Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, praised Newsom for acting with urgency ahead of the wildfire season.
“I stand ready to assist the Governor with any legislative action to eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks that could slow these projects,” she said in a statement.
While environmental groups bristled at Newsom’s plan, they continue to agree with him on a wide range of other issues.
“On the whole we see (Newsom) as an ally on environmental issues,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. “I think what we’re disagreeing with here is an approach to a problem that we all recognize.”
The state’s environmental laws are designed to protect California’s soil stability, watershed and wildlife habitats, she said, and waiving environmental reviews could have unintended consequences.
“For some suspension of oversight now, what’s the consequence going to be later?” Phillips asked. “Are we going to end up having huge silt floods and mudslides?”
KQED’s Hope McKenney contributed to this report.