California’s eco-regulators halted a critical wildfire prevention project near Pacific Palisades to protect an endangered shrub - only for that same area to be engulfed in flames during the Palisades Fire, the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history.
In 2019, the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) set out to replace aging wooden power poles - some nearly a century old - with fire-resistant steel poles and widen fire-access lanes in the wildfire-prone Topanga State Park. The $2 million project was designed to bolster fire safety after the area was deemed an "elevated fire risk."
"This project will help ensure power reliability and safety, while helping reduce wildfire threats," the LADWP stated at the time, the NY Post reports.
But the effort came to an abrupt halt when an amateur botanist hiking through the park noticed that some of the rare Braunton’s milkvetch shrubs - an endangered species with only a few thousand wild specimens - had been damaged during the work. Conservationists raised alarms, accusing the city of working without proper permits, and California’s Coastal Commission ordered the LADWP to stop the project, replant the damaged shrubs, and pay $2 million in fines.
Fast forward to 2024: Nearly 24,000 acres - including much of Topanga Canyon - have gone up in smoke, taking with them not only homes and wildlife but the same shrubs the project was supposed to protect.
The Palisades Fire has destroyed 12,000 homes, businesses, schools and other structures - and has claimed at least 24 lives, and left thousands displaced. Meanwhile, firefighters struggled with low water pressure and empty hydrants as they battled the inferno.
The controversy over conservation versus fire prevention has reignited fierce debates. Critics point out that key reservoirs, such as the Santa Ynez Reservoir—capable of holding 117 million gallons—were bone-dry when the fire erupted. Despite assurances from Governor Gavin Newsom that Southern California reservoirs were “completely full,” the empty reservoir has become a focal point of frustration.
Newsom has since launched an investigation into the reservoir’s failure, but the timing has done little to quell criticism.
A Growing Political Firestorm
President-elect Donald Trump seized on the disaster to criticize Newsom’s handling of wildfire prevention. Trump blasted the governor’s conservation policies, accusing him of prioritizing “worthless” wildlife over human lives.
“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt … but didn’t care about the people of California,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the delta smelt, a near-extinct fish that has become a symbol of California’s ongoing water wars.
The feud between Trump and Newsom dates back to 2020 when Newsom sued to block Trump’s federal order to divert Northern California water to Southern California reservoirs, citing concerns for endangered species. The delta smelt’s near-extinction has fueled arguments from both sides: environmentalists decry the ecological loss, while critics say conservation efforts have yielded little but regulatory red tape.
Environmentalists defending the Braunton’s milkvetch argue that wildfires can help the plant sprout from dormant seeds, creating an opportunity for the shrub to regrow. However, critics see the loss of homes and lives as a stark reminder of the cost of bureaucracy.
Despite promises to prioritize fire prevention, the Pacific Palisades area remains a cautionary tale of what happens when disaster preparedness collides with environmental red tape. Neither the LADWP nor the California Coastal Commission has responded to requests for comment, leaving residents wondering if the very policies meant to protect them helped fan the flames.
