An aerial view of homes destroyed by a wildfire on March 15, 2025 in Mannford, Oklahoma. Photo: Getty Images
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has proposed dismantling the state's forestry service, citing a potential savings of $75 million for taxpayers. This suggestion follows the dismissal of Oklahoma Forestry Services Director Mark Goeller after a series of devastating wildfires in mid-March. Governor Stitt expressed frustration over the response to the fires, which burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes. He criticized the bureaucracy in Oklahoma City for failing to deploy resources effectively during the crisis.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Stitt questioned the need for a Department of Forestry, suggesting that funds could be redirected to local firefighters. He stated, "Why do I even have a Department of Forestry? Let's just get rid of the whole thing. That'd save $75 million for the taxpayers, or let's take $50 million of that and let's give it to our local firefighters," said Stitt.
Despite his proposal, Stitt acknowledged that he was not blaming anyone for the fires. Instead, he expressed frustration over the lack of resource deployment and transparency from the forestry service. Mark Goeller, who served with the forestry service for decades, defended his record, stating that all necessary resources were deployed during the wildfires.
Governor Stitt plans to assemble a task force to evaluate the state's wildfire response and explore improvements. The timeline for the task force's findings remains uncertain.