Staff Reports
California is spending millions on something called “cultural burns” while firefighters and residents are still begging for basic brush clearing. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has poured money into tribal wildfire resilience grants — and that choice is drawing a sharp line between what Sacramento says it values and what Californians worry will actually stop wildfires.
What the funding does: tribal wildfire resilience and cultural burns
Since 2023, CalFire’s Tribal Wildfire Resilience program has awarded about $24 million to tribal groups and nonprofits for projects that include “food sovereignty,” owl counting and traditional or “cultural” burns. The idea is to revive time-tested fire practices used by Native American tribes to reduce underbrush and restore plant and animal relationships on the land. Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot oversees much of this effort and has described the work as returning land stewardship to California Native American tribes.
Traditional burns vs. modern brush clearing
Cultural burns are prescribed fires carried out on a small scale by trained tribal crews. They are not the same as the large mechanical clearing projects some communities want — the ones that remove heavy fuels quickly from hillsides and rights-of-way. Proponents say cultural burns can help ecosystems and reduce fire risk over time. Critics ask whether these techniques scale fast enough to protect neighborhoods now, especially when wildfires threaten lives and property.
Politics, priorities and public safety
Here’s the hard truth: people in the path of a wildfire do not care about ceremony if their home is ash. Governor Newsom is right to support tribal stewardship, but spending millions on cultural programs while basic brush clearing and defensible-space enforcement lag looks like a political choice, not a balanced strategy. When the administration’s top officials are talking about historic wrongs and returning land, they should also show they can get the practical work done — clearing fuels, widening firebreaks, and supporting frontline firefighters.
California needs a two-track approach: respect and fund tribal knowledge, yes, but don’t let that crowd out urgent, proven wildfire prevention measures. If the Newsom administration wants applause for cultural restoration, fine — but voters will judge by whether their homes and schools stay standing. In a state burning more often, ideology can’t replace the shovel, the saw and the inspector on the ground.
