Why Trump Wrongly Blames A Fish For LA Wildfires

Trump Blames Delta Smelt for LA Wildfires, Experts Disagree:

Donald Trump has criticized efforts to protect the Delta smelt, blaming the endangered fish for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. Despite experts pointing out that the fish has little connection to the city's water supply, Trump used the species as a scapegoat in a social media post, press conference, and even through a White House order. John Buse from the Center for Biological Diversity described the move as a "classic authoritarian" tactic, highlighting Trump’s tendency to blame internal issues on scapegoats. While California’s water crisis is complex, experts, including UC Davis ichthyologist Peter Moyle, stress the Delta smelt’s role as an environmental indicator and reject claims that it’s responsible for the fires. The controversy raises concerns about the Trump administration's approach to environmental policies.

California has been grappling with a complex water crisis, exacerbated by climate change, but the Delta smelt’s protection is a separate environmental concern, according to biologists. Peter Moyle, a leading expert from UC Davis, emphasized that the Delta smelt once thrived in the region and was essential to the local ecosystem but is not responsible for the state’s current environmental challenges.

Critics, including John Buse from the Center for Biological Diversity, argue that Trump's focus on blaming the Delta smelt is a deliberate move to deflect attention from deeper issues while rallying his base. Buse described the tactic as “scapegoating,” labeling it as a typical authoritarian strategy designed to create an internal enemy to blame for problems. This approach, he suggests, may be a preview of what to expect if Trump returns to office.

While Trump’s comments have drawn widespread backlash from environmentalists, the debate also underscores the larger issue of how political leaders address environmental policy in the face of growing climate-related disasters. Experts argue that tackling California's water crisis and wildfire risk requires a more comprehensive and scientifically informed approach rather than deflecting blame onto protected species.

Trump says California’s mismanagement of forests and water is to blame for wildfires. Here’s the reality.

As wildfires ravaged over 60 square miles of Los Angeles earlier this month, then-President-Elect Donald Trump blamed the Delta smelt, a fish found only in Northern California, for the devastating blazes. Trump posted on Truth Social, claiming that Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to protect the fish, which he called “essentially worthless,” was responsible for the lack of water available to fight the fires. This accusation was part of a broader criticism Trump made about California’s wildfire management and water policies, including during his inauguration speech, where he falsely stated the fires were still burning “without even a token of defense.” He later signed an executive order titled “Putting People Over Fish,” calling for changes to California's water distribution system.

Trump’s rhetoric, which frequently targets California, has raised concerns that it could affect disaster aid. Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have suggested that federal disaster aid for California should be tied to addressing “water resource mismanagement” and “forest management mistakes.” However, experts point out that California has been working diligently to manage its wildlands and mitigate wildfire risks. Over 1,500 square miles of state and federal land were treated in 2023, with efforts including thinning forests, prescribed burns, and grazing to reduce wildfire fuel.

In 2024, the US Forest Service treated nearly 80 square miles in Southern California, with some of this work being critical to preventing damage to vital infrastructure during the Eaton Fire. The Forest Service also highlighted how their treatment of Mt. Wilson, northeast of Altadena, helped avoid major damage to communication networks.

However, Southern California’s scrubby landscape is vastly different from the forests of Northern California. The region is dominated by chaparral scrub, which is less conducive to the same forest management techniques used in Northern California, such as prescribed burns. With dense residential areas near these scrublands and environmental protections in place, prescribed fire is less commonly used in Southern California.

While the Trump administration's criticisms continue to dominate headlines, many experts argue that more comprehensive wildfire management efforts, rather than finger-pointing, are needed to effectively reduce the risks of future fires.

Experts have highlighted the challenges California faces in managing wildfire risks, particularly in Southern California, where private property concerns and recreational activities make prescribed burns a high liability. Crystal Kolden, director of the University of California Merced Fire Resilience Center, explained that prescribed burns are difficult to carry out due to potential legal risks if something goes wrong, as private property is often mixed with public lands. She also noted that the region’s “huge fear of fire” and the presence of hikers complicate the situation further. Instead, crews are using chainsaws, masticators, and even goat herds to trim vegetation.

Trump Blames Delta Smelt for LA Wildfires Despite Minimal Connection, Experts Say:

Donald Trump has criticized the Delta smelt, labeling it a "worthless fish" and blaming efforts to protect the species for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. The former president took to social media, held a press conference, and even issued a White House order accusing California's Governor Gavin Newsom of hampering firefighting efforts by refusing to release excess water to southern regions, allegedly to protect the Delta smelt.

Experts, however, have pointed out that the Delta smelt has little to no connection to the city's water supply. The fish, which was once abundant in California's Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, has become a "sentinel" species, helping to monitor the health of its habitat. Despite the fish's role in ecological monitoring, the species has faced significant habitat destruction, contamination, and competition from invasive species, leading to its listing as "threatened" in 1993 and "endangered" in 2009.

Environmental experts, including John Buse, General Counsel for the Center for Biological Diversity, argue that Trump’s scapegoating of the Delta smelt reflects a chaotic and short-sighted approach to environmental policies. They warn that such moves signal troubling authoritarian tendencies that could worsen in a potential second Trump term.

Peter Moyle, a leading ichthyologist from the University of California, Davis, emphasized that the Delta smelt’s decline was largely due to human-caused environmental factors, not conservation efforts. California's water projects aim to balance environmental protection with meeting the demands of agriculture and urban areas, making the blame directed at the Delta smelt misplaced and unfounded.

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