WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum thanking him for his tireless efforts fulfilling President Trump’s agenda and managing our nation’s land and wildlife, including responding to natural disasters like the California wildfires earlier this year. In the letter, Senator Scott also requests the DOI to provide additional transparency on federal funding that has been given to California over the past decade. While the state has received substantial federal support for wildfire preparedness, suppression, and recovery, it appears that both California and Los Angeles have mismanaged those resources over the years.

This letter follows Senator Scott’s recent visit to the Palisades with media personality Spencer Pratt for a tour of destruction from these deadly fires, and builds on his efforts to get answers and support for the victims. Senator Scott has also sent letters to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem requesting additional information on federal funding California has received from the agencies, and has requested a briefing on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team’s investigation of the causes and contributing factors of the wildfires. Senator Scott continues to work on Congressional action to get answers and support victims, including new legislation to provide disaster tax relief for victims.  

Read the full letter HERE or below.

Dear Secretary Burgum:

I first want to commend you for the excellent work you have done with the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). From managing our nation’s natural resources to implementing a coordinated wildland fire program, the DOI’s mandate is broad. Under your and President Trump’s leadership, the DOI has excelled in every respect by putting common sense back into land and wildlife management.

Since you took over DOI, not only has your agency responded to catastrophic natural disasters in North Carolina, Texas, California, and New Mexico, but it has done so in a way that cuts through red tape and streamlines processes. You have swiftly deployed agency employees to rapidly mitigate the spread of wildfires and to support debris removal in communities tragically impacted by wildfires.

While relief is often quickly dispatched to states and affected areas as needed, state and local governments often vary in how they manage and request these resources. After visiting the Palisades recently with Mr. Spencer Pratt, a wildfire victim who lost his family’s home and has since been displaced, I witnessed the destruction that the January 2025 wildfires left in their path. I was heartbroken by the wreckage, and I became concerned as people within the Palisades community shared their perspective on how much Los Angeles and California have mismanaged funds that were supposed to be directed to preventing and responding to these wildfires. It has been reported that California in general, and Los Angeles, in particular, have received seemingly endless flows of federal funds from the DOI and other federal agencies for wildfire management, repression, and response. Yet these funds do not appear to have been used wisely. This has led many to conclude that California’s trouble with wildfire mitigation is not due to a lack of funding, but rather years of the state’s foot-dragging and red tape.

Natural disasters happen, regardless of state or political party. And we should all rally around those who experience calamity through no fault of their own. But those in government also have a duty to responsibly manage funds that have been allocated to prevent and respond to these disasters. That does not appear to have been the case in California.

Accordingly, I have been conducting oversight of the contributing causes of the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire, and the adequacy of the response efforts. To advance that oversight, although I acknowledge your incredibly effective response to the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, I write to request an update on the funding that has been allocated to California in the past ten years, starting on September 1, 2015. In particular, how much money has the DOI given to California for wildfire response, prevention, and recovery? How many DOI personnel have been employed to mitigate wildland fires on California state property? Are there any federal or California laws, rules, or regulations that hinder the DOI’s ability to adequately prevent wildfires or recover from wildfires? Additionally, how much money did California receive from the DOI in response to the Palisades wildfires and other California wildfires that occurred in 2025?

I know you share my concern that all taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, transparently, and in the public interest. To assist you in your ongoing efforts, I hope that we can shed light on California’s waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in order to foster a more responsive and transparent use of funds by the states. The people of California deserve it, and the American people demand it.

I would be grateful if you could provide an answer to me by September 24, 2025. I look forward to your response.

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