'That is unacceptable:' State lawmakers respond to Governor’s call to disband the State Forestry Department

In a press conference this week, Gov. Kevin Stitt called for the elimination of the Oklahoma Forestry Department, saying he was unhappy with their response to the March wildfires, and said eliminating the department could save $75 million in taxpayer dollars annually.

RELATED: Gov. Stitt proposes 'getting rid' of Forestry Department

“I'm not blaming anybody for those fires, what I'm questioning and what I'm frustrated with, like most Oklahomans, is this was a time to save property and save lives, and if we didn't have all of our resources there on those fires, that's frustrating,” said Stitt.

Last week, the governor fired the department’s director, Mark Goeller, but now wants to take things a step further.

“This is a deep-seated bureaucracy that is trying to protect their actions,” said Stitt. “Here's the deal: Why do I even have a department of forestry? Let's get rid of it altogether.” 

Legislative Leaders Push Back

Leaders in both the House and Senate strongly opposed the governor’s push.

“That is unacceptable. The forestry department is absolutely critical to fighting wildfires, wildfire prevention and our Woodland services,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert.

Speaker Hilbert stood alongside a few of his republican members who are current or former firefighters. 

“Frankly, hearing from firefighters in my district, I know all my colleagues around me are hearing from firefighters in their district who are frankly furious,” said Speaker Hilbert.

Senate Pro Tem Defends Forestry Department

Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, who has been a firefighter for 34 years, brought up multiple concerns about the governor’s comments. 

“As far as the comments go, I am confused by it. I don't understand where that came from, I completely do not share the views of the governor that that's something that can be eliminated,” said Pro Tem Paxton. “It is a very useful tool for fire departments in the state and has been for the last 100 years, and we should keep it. We should make sure it's efficient, but we need to keep it in place.”

Paxton says it’s not under the purview of the governor to disband the department. 

“First of all, the Forestry Department is set by the legislature and funded by the legislature; that would be under our authority whether we keep the Forestry Department or not,” said Paxton. 

Call for Burn Ban Prior to Severe Weather

Both leaders say a burn ban prior to the severe weather could have prevented the destruction. The governor is the only person who has the authority to issue a statewide burn ban.

“My personal opinion it would have been more prudent to have a statewide burn ban on the Wednesday and Thursday prior to that Friday's weather conditions; the weather was not a surprise,” said Paxton.

Stitt Criticized for Lack of Involvement During Wildfire

Stitt also criticized the Department's response to the fires, saying he didn’t feel like all of the state’s resources were being deployed. He also said he wasn’t being informed of the operations.

The governor was out of the state during the fire aftermath, leaving Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton as acting governor. Paxton says he was in constant communication with the State Forestry and State Emergency Management Departments, and had no issues.

“I was briefed on where everything was at, I knew there were bulldozers set up in different areas, and I know in Burns Flat there were super scooper tankers that were set out there pending weather conditions so they could get them up in the air,” said Paxton. 

The governor told reporters on Wednesday he is still working on getting information.

House Minority Leader Responds to Gov. Stitt's Proposal

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson also responded, saying in a statement:

“It is appalling to suggest cutting Oklahoma Forestry Services, especially after wildfires have devastated much of our state,” Leader Munson said. “It is disrespectful to the hard work that was done to control the fires. This further proves the Governor does not care about the needs of Oklahomans he only cares about cutting income taxes to impress the Trump Administration. He refuses to listen to Oklahomans and instead focuses solely on the president.”

“In order to make any adjustments to agencies, he must work with the legislature–he does not get the final say, we do. I pray to God he is not using a tragedy to justify cutting an essential service in order to justify his income tax plan. It is gross, offensive, and does nothing to serve Oklahomans,” said Munson.