It was a rare calm day in southern Washington’s forests when Adam Lieberg, a land manager for the Columbia Land Trust, was stuck waiting for money he’d already been promised. The U.S. Forest Service approved a $9 million grant last August to help him and other conservation groups carry out controlled burns—small, intentional fires meant to clear dry brush and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires later. But Lieberg hasn’t seen a dime of it. The delay isn’t because of a funding shortage. It’s because of new federal rules tied to President Trump’s immigration and hiring policies, which have added layers of bureaucracy to grants that have nothing to do with wildfire prevention. The Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, which was supposed to help communities like Lieberg’s, is now caught in a bureaucratic maze. Lieberg planned to burn 500 acres this spring to protect nearby homes and forests. Instead, he’s done almost nothing. The same story is playing out across the country, where firefighters say they’re burning far less land than they need to because of government delays and new restrictions on public land use announced in 2026. Controlled burns are one of the most effective tools for preventing wildfires, but they’re being sidelined just as the U.S. braces for another brutal fire season. The National Interagency Fire Center already predicts above-normal wildfire activity in the West this year, thanks to a mix of extreme heat and drought. Forests in Washington, California, and Oregon are drying out faster than usual, making them tinderboxes waiting for a spark. Firefighters and land managers say the longer they wait to burn, the worse the problem gets. “Every week we delay, the fuel loads get heavier,” Lieberg said. “It’s like watching a time bomb tick.” The Trump administration’s new policies aren’t just slowing down grants. They’re also restricting how much land can be burned on public property. In 2026, the U.S. Forest Service announced stricter limits on controlled burns, citing concerns about air quality and wildlife impacts. But critics say the moves are more about politics than science. Environmental groups point out that controlled burns have been used for centuries by Indigenous communities, including the Yakama Nation in Washington, to manage forests sustainably. The Yakama Nation’s own fire crews have been forced to scale back their burn plans this year because of the same federal delays. “We know how to do this,” said a Yakama fire ecologist who asked not to be named. “But now we’re being treated like criminals for doing what’s right for the land.” The delays aren’t just hurting ecosystems. They’re putting communities at risk. In 2023, wildfires burned more than 2.6 million acres in the U.S., destroyed over 2,000 homes, and killed 22 people. The cost of fighting those fires topped $3 billion. Experts say the problem will only get worse if controlled burns aren’t allowed to happen now. “We’re trading short-term inconvenience for long-term disaster,” said a retired U.S. Forest Service firefighter who worked on controlled burns for 30 years. The government’s own data shows that areas where controlled burns are regularly used have up to 80% fewer acres burned in wildfires. So why are these programs being slowed down? The answer lies in Washington’s shifting priorities. The Trump administration has tied federal funding to policies that prioritize immigration enforcement and “America First” hiring rules. For grants like the one Lieberg’s waiting on, that means extra paperwork, background checks, and delays for anyone involved in the project—including nonprofits and tribal organizations. The Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program was designed to help rural and tribal communities prepare for fire season. But now, some applicants say they’re spending more time filling out forms than planning burns. The U.S. Forest Service declined to comment on the record about the specific delays but acknowledged that the new rules have slowed down some grant processes. Meanwhile, Lieberg and other land managers are left scrambling to find alternative funding or cut their burn plans. Some are turning to state programs or private donations, but those aren’t enough to cover the need. Firefighters say the situation is dire. “We’re running out of time,” said a spokesperson for the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. “Every day we wait, the risk grows.” The big question now is whether the government will reverse course before fire season peaks. Some lawmakers are already pushing back, arguing that the restrictions are making wildfires worse. But for now, Lieberg and others are stuck in limbo, watching as the forests dry out and the winds pick up. The next few months will tell whether this year’s fire season turns into another disaster—or if the delays finally end before it’s too late.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: NPR
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 09:00 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #npr · #usa · #world-news · #environment · #wildfire · #climate

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Os incêndios nos EUA estão mais devastadores do que nunca este ano, e a culpa não é só da seca: as novas regras herdadas da era Trump estão impedindo queimadas controladas essenciais para prevenir grandes tragédias.

O governo americano, sob influência de políticas do ex-presidente Donald Trump, ampliou restrições burocráticas e atrasos na autorização de queimadas controladas, uma técnica fundamental para reduzir o acúmulo de vegetação seca que alimenta incêndios florestais. Especialistas alertam que, sem esse manejo preventivo, os incêndios se tornam mais frequentes e intensos, como já se vê em estados como Washington e Califórnia. Para o Brasil, essa situação serve como alerta sobre os riscos de negligenciar práticas de manejo ambiental, especialmente em um cenário de mudanças climáticas que afeta também a Amazônia e o Pantanal.

A expectativa é que, pressionado pela crise, o governo Biden tente reverter parte dessas políticas, mas o dano já está feito — e a temporada de incêndios nos EUA promete ser uma das piores dos últimos anos.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El gobierno de Estados Unidos, bajo políticas heredadas de la era Trump, está agravando los incendios forestales al retrasar las quemas controladas, un método clave para prevenir catástrofes.

Estas restricciones, impulsadas por la burocracia federal y criterios ambientales más estrictos, limitan el uso de quemas prescritas que reducen la acumulación de vegetación inflamable. En estados como Washington, donde los bosques son especialmente vulnerables, la falta de estas medidas aumenta el riesgo de megaincendios, con graves consecuencias para las comunidades locales y el medio ambiente. La situación refleja un debate más amplio sobre cómo equilibrar la conservación con la gestión forestal preventiva, un tema que resuena entre los hispanohablantes de EE.UU., muchos de ellos afectados por la crisis climática.