I’m concerned about the cuts to federal funding affecting the Oregon Department of Forestry’s ability to respond to wildfires, now and in the future, especially now that fire levels are “high” on ODF lands and Jackson and Josephine counties, with the hot temperatures, dry vegetation, and possible thunderstorms. 

The cuts to ODF are likely to affect the ability to train and hire enough firefighters, to take preventative measures like prescribed burns, during the longer fire seasons we have now. This is coming at a time where extreme weather events are becoming common, as ice caps are melting, affecting global wind and water currents. 

The Trump administration’s goal of cutting FEMA until it’s gone means that Oregon will probably be responsible for all responses when this happens, since there will be no one at the national level to call for backup help like there was in 2020. And we are still recovering from Sept. 8, 2020. 

Sometimes I think the administration is so full of wealthy people that they just haven’t ever had any real experience living with or knowing working and poor people. 

States like Oregon may have to divert funds from other vital state programs in order to cover fire response, training, and management into the future, which is not likely to make Oregon great, but likely to do just the opposite into the future as well as this year.

Jacqueline Rosen/ Medford