Trump’s Interior Disregards Science to Promote Special Interest Development

As California Burned, Pres. Trump and Sec. Bernhardt Ignored Scientific Evidence, Instead Push Pro-Industry Agenda

New reporting from The Guardian reveals how the Trump administration crafted a pro-industry narrative while ignoring scientific facts to push forest development for their industry allies. 

In a statement, Jayson O’Neill, Deputy Director of Western Values Project, said:

“This story shows the extent President Trump and his political cronies at Interior will go to obfuscate an issue that we can no longer afford to ignore. As wildfire experts have repeatedly explained, we can’t log or even ‘rake’ our way out of this mess. The Trump administration and the Interior Department are pushing mystical theories that are false in order to justify gutting public land protections to advance their pro-industry and lobbyist-dominated agenda.” 

Through public records requests, Trump administration emails show a dangerous pattern of government officials choosing industry bidding over that of the public, taxpayers’ best interest. The Trump administration, and Interior, in particular, is stacked with former lobbyists that have led to many pro-industry decisions, as well as ethics violations, many of which are still under investigation.

O’Neill continued, “Instead of addressing the reality and science of a warming planet creating larger and more devastating wildfire seasons, the Trump administration chose newspeak and spin. No one should buy what they are selling. Unlike President Trump’s numerous failed businesses, there is no declaring bankruptcy or a trust fund to bail out the planet. The administration even shorted the West hundreds of firefighters leading up to the fire season because of the President’s historic government shutdown.”

Background

James Reilly, Department of Influence

Land Use Planning More Effective Than Logging to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Forest Harvest Can Increase Subsequent Forest Fire Severity

Will More Logging Save Western Forests From Wildfires?

In Case You Missed It: Trump’s Reckless Government Shutdown Leaves Interior Short 500 Firefighters

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