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California: Governor Newsom announces $135 million available for new wildfire projects amid Trump's assault on resources protecting communities

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Jun 25, 2025

Governor Newsom announces $135 million available for new wildfire projects amid Trump's assault on resources protecting communities

What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced $135 million is available for wildfire prevention grants – protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire at the same time as President Trump adds new strain to firefighting resources.

SACRAMENTO – As President Trump continues straining firefighting and prevention resources in California, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the state has $135 million available for new and ongoing projects to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire.

Grant applications are now open for CAL FIRE's Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. It funds local projects that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities. Activities include hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education.

The funding builds on $72 million the Governor announced last month for forest health projects across the state – part of $2.5 billion in investments in wildfire prevention work that have more than doubled since the Governor took office.

Today's announcement comes as the California National Guard's (CalGuard) critical firefighting crews – known as Task Force Rattlesnake – are operating at just 40% capacity due to President Trump's illegal militarization of Los Angeles. The National Guard impact is on top of the Trump administration's dangerous cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which also threatens the safety of communities across the state.

We won't let Trump stand in the way of protecting Californians from catastrophic wildfire. We're making millions more available to fund projects that are proven to keep communities safe.

Governor Gavin Newsom

CAL FIRE's Wildfire Prevention Grants are effective. Local projects like proactive vegetation management, defensible space creation and structure hardening helped preserve historical structures and homes in Los Angeles County in 2025. In 2024 in Sonoma County, over 300 acres of shaded fuel breaks, created by clearing brush and small trees along roads, helped reduce flammable vegetation and slowed a fire's spread. Residents were able to evacuate safely, and firefighters were able to stop the spread of fire quickly.

"These examples demonstrate how grant funds are effectively helping to improve wildfire resilience in California communities through thoughtful planning and preventative work funded through CAL FIRE grants," said Chief Daniel Berlant, California State Fire Marshal. "Over the last five years, over $500 million has been awarded to over 490 projects across the state."

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California's unprecedented wildfire readiness

Despite the strain caused by President Trump, California stands ready to protect communities. As part of the state's ongoing investment in wildfire resilience and emergency response, CAL FIRE has significantly expanded its workforce over the past five years by adding an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually – nearly double that from the previous administration. Over the next four years and beyond, CAL FIRE will be hiring thousands of additional firefighters, natural resource professionals, and support personnel to meet the state's growing demands.

Late last month, the Governor announced $72 million for projects across the state that help reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. Additionally, 20 new vegetation management projects spanning nearly 8,000 acres have already been approved for fast-tracking under the Governor's new streamlining initiative.

This builds on consecutive years of intensive and focused work by California to confront the severe ongoing risk of catastrophic wildfires, and Governor Newsom's emergency proclamation signed in March to fast-track forest and vegetation management projects throughout the state. Additionally, to bolster the state's ability to respond to fires, Governor Newsom recently announced that the state's second C-130 Hercules airtanker is ready for firefighting operations, adding to the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world.

New, bold moves to streamline state-level regulatory processes builds long-term efforts already underway in California to increase wildfire response and forest management in the face of a hotter, drier climate. A full list of California's progress on wildfire resilience is available here.

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