A Reuters analysis shows that the state of California did more to prevent and mitigate potential wildfires in the state than the federal government, which controls more than 50% of the state’s woodlands.

The US Forest Service spent less money than the state government did, further undermining the Trump administration’s position that the state has been irresponsible in managing the lands that are now experiencing the worst wildfires in state history.

Trump has claimed that California and other western states are experiencing devastating wildfires because they didn’t take steps like “raking the [forest] floor” or removing trees that explode.

The US Forest Service owns 57% of the state’s 33 million acres of forest.  It spends just $151 million to treat 235,000 acres of that land.  California, on the other hand, spent $200 million to address management issues on 393,282 acres of public and private land it manages.

The Trump Administration also suspended forest management programs for six weeks in the spring, citing coronavirus dangers.  Its 235,000 acres managed to date is roughly half of the acreage managed under the last year of the Obama Administration, records show.

While financial estimates on the losses incurred during this year’s wildfires are not complete, the damage done is significantly greater than the cost of prevention.  The 2017 Camp Fire, one of the worst in California history, caused more than $10 billion in damage.