President Trump this week appointed Josh F.W. Cook as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in California and the Pacific Southwest, making him one of the Golden State’s most prominent new climate officials.

Josh F.W. Cook was appointed as a new administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency in California and the Pacific Southwest.

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Pacific Southwest)

Cook, who lives in Chico, will be responsible for implementing and enforcing federal environmental laws in Region 9, which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations. His appointment comes as the state and region grapple with worsening climate issues such as extreme heat, devastating wildfires and a water crisis on the Colorado River.

“Josh Cook is the right person we need to lead Region 9,” said Lee Zeldin, Trump’s head of the EPA, in a statement. “He understands the unique nature of the Pacific Southwest and will be a great addition to the EPA team. Josh’s talent working with state and local partners will be paramount to power the great American comeback across our regions.”

But Cook’s appointment also comes as Zeldin and Trump downplay the urgency of climate change and make allowances for industries that rely on planet-warming fossil fuels. Zeldin recently announced plans to repeal or weaken more than two dozen environmental regulations that govern air and water quality and other environmental issues, while Trump has touted ramping up the country’s production of polluting coal and oil.

In response to a request for an interview, Cook’s team said he was not immediately available. In a written statement, he said he was “humbled and honored to take on such a meaningful assignment from President Trump and Administrator Zeldin.”

“While focusing on the core competencies of clean water, land, and air, EPA Region 9 will lead the way in reducing energy costs, creating wealth, and cementing America’s position as a leader in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, AI technology, and transportation,” Cook said.

Cook comes to the EPA following various roles in government and politics, including serving as chief of staff to the minority caucus in the California Legislature and in advisory positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior. He has been an advisor to the Tribal Council of the Mooretown Rancheria of Concow Maidu Indians for 26 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“The U.S. has treaty and trust obligations to clean up toxic sites, increase access to clean water, and create working partnerships with America’s Indian nations,” tribal chairman Benjamin Clark Jr. said in a statement. “We have trusted Josh in our efforts to return native hands to work on native lands and unlock the incredible wealth nature has always provided Native people when we take the lead.”

Cook spent 10 years as chief of staff for former California state senator and gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle (R-Bieber).

Reached by phone, Dahle described Cook as a “good guy and a good family man,” and said he had ample experience helping manage some of the state’s worst environmental crises, including the Oroville Dam spillway crises of 2017 and the deadly Camp fire in Butte County in 2018, which occurred during Cook’s tenure.

“I think he’ll be able to step into the role,” Dahle said. “It’s a big territory — I don’t know outside of California the issues that other states have, but I do know that we have a lot of stuff going on here in California. I’m excited to have somebody from California actually be the pick.”

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), who has publicly questioned the science behind human-caused climate change and has sponsored bills geared toward looser environmental restrictions, is one of Cook’s biggest champions. In particular, LaMalfa has supported increased logging and forest management to reduce wildfire risks — helping to garner him a 0% rating from environmental advocacy group League of Conservation Voters.

Cook has in part credited LaMalfa for his EPA appointment. “Super grateful to Rep. Doug LaMalfa who weighed in for me and is already working to make real change as fast as possible,” Cook wrote in a post on Facebook.

“I have worked with Josh Cook for more than three decades, he is a great leader, and I look forward to supporting his work with Administrator Zeldin at the EPA as they systematically implement the long overdue regulatory reforms for the western States,” LaMalfa said in a statement.

Environmental groups largely said that given Cook’s limited track record, they don’t have a feel for where he stands on core issues.

However, Melissa Romero, a policy advocacy director with California Environmental Voters, said she worked with Cook on several occasions during his time in the Legislature and described him as a “conservationist at heart [who] cares about the state’s natural landscape.”

“While we may not have always agreed on policy, he would always listen and he was always willing to engage and brainstorm solutions with people,” Romero said.

Most recently, Cook served as city administrator for Biggs, a town of some 1,700 residents in Butte County. In January, he was fired from the role over breach of contract, as first reported by local news site Action News Now. Records reviewed by The Times show that Cook had made whistleblower complaints against members of the city council over allegations of extortion, campaign spending violations and retaliation, among other concerns, which were later deemed unsubstantiated by a city-retained investigator.

Cook replaces former EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman, who was appointed by President Biden.

Another of his predecessors, Mike Stoker, was appointed during the first Trump administration but was abruptly dismissed from the job in 2020. At the time, Stoker said the dismissal was because he was too friendly with Democrats.