Senator Jim Nielsen, R-Red Bluff, is requesting a joint Senate Budget Committee oversight hearing with the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Environmental Quality Committee to review the progress of wildfire fuel reduction activities in California.
“This oversight hearing request is in to response to a recent investigation by CapRadio and NPR California Newsroom that found that Governor Newsom ‘mislead the public’ about the state’s wildfire prevention efforts ahead of California’s worst wildfire season in history,” said Nielsen.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
Oversight is necessary after the investigation revealed that Governor Newsom overstated the amount of wildfire prevention work completed by his administration, falsely claiming that the land area treated was nearly eight times greater than the correct number. The report also cited the refusal by the Governor’s office to respond to the findings despite multiple requests. Meanwhile, current drought conditions have amplified California’s wildfire risk, leading to an earlier fire season already impacting communities statewide.