New NPG Forum Paper Highlighting Connections Between Population Growth and Wildfire Devastation

• NPG
• April 23, 2025
• Press Releases
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Shaping a Sustainable Future by Addressing Population Impacts 

Alexandria, VA, (April 23, 2025): Negative Population Growth, Inc. (NPG) has published an insightful new Forum paper, The Fire, The Fury, and The Footprint, authored by seasoned journalist and researcher Mark Cromer. This thought-provoking work explores the growing role of human population density in exacerbating the frequency, intensity, and devastation of California wildfires, with particular focus on the catastrophic 2025 events in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

Rooted in meticulous research, The Fire, The Fury, and The Footprint examines how human expansion, climate change, and resource consumption converge to fuel disasters, while the national discourse continues to fall short of addressing these fundamental triggers. Cromer challenges readers to rethink rebuilding strategies and to confront the broader implications of unchecked population growth.

Highlights from the paper include:

• The Changing “Fire Season” in California: Once confined to summer and early autumn, California’s fire season now threatens to become a continuous, year-round concern.
• Population Growth and Risk Amplification: How decades of unchecked development in high-risk areas have escalated dangers for communities statewide.
• Rebuilding and Resource Impact: Critical questions are raised about the long-term sustainability of rebuilding strategies, including the pressures of expanding population density on housing, water resources, and infrastructure.
• Economic and Environmental Consequences: The staggering financial and ecological toll of recent wildfire events, alongside the glaring disparities in disaster preparedness between socio-economic classes.

Cromer’s paper sheds light on the urgent need for decision-makers to consider the long-term impacts of population policy on disaster mitigation and recovery efforts. His work urges policymakers, environmental advocates, urban planners, and concerned citizens to take a hard look at how growth must align with resource availability and environmental resilience.

“Population growth, the development of environmentally-sensitive lands, and climate change magnify these disasters,” said Craig Lewis, Executive Director of NPG. “It is critical that we address these interconnected challenges thoughtfully and urgently, both in California and across the nation.”

NPG calls on federal, state, and local leaders to factor population impacts into disaster planning and prevention while advocating for public policies that promote long-term resource management and efforts to curb population growth.

Since 1972, NPG has worked to educate both the public and policy leaders about the impacts of overpopulation. With a steadfast commitment to reducing population growth to achieve a sustainable balance with our environmental resources, NPG continues to be a leading voice of reason in a world often driven by the pursuit of perpetual growth.  We do not simply identify the problems – we propose solutions.  For more information, visit our website at NPG.org, follow us on Facebook @NegativePopulationGrowth or follow us on X @npg_org.

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