While I agree that getting one of these is easy, I don't think this has to do with California's budget -- they're issued by the US Forest Service, not the state. Federal forest rangers handle the enforcement.
Any leo can choose to ding you for it if they want to; at least that was the word from a ranger way back when. Hence the name, "California fire permit," not "Federal fire permit." The key words form the second sentence on the Website "You must have a California Campfire Permit to use a stove, lantern, or campfire
outside a developed campground or recreation area." I figured if he made a point of telling me about it -- and this didn't take place in a national forest, BTW -- it might be worth it to print one out every year.
Like it or not, agencies are using the tools at their disposal to write more tickets and boost revenue during the budget crunch. The agencies in charge of the great outdoors, state, county or federal, are no different. Anyone who thinks otherwise is being a bit naive, IMO, and only has to look around to see more tickets being issued everywhere from national forests to BLM land. While this "permit" was originally designed by the forest service to be an educational tool with a bit of teeth to teach the irresponsible camper a lesson, times are changing and, in this case, it's easy to avoid being low hanging fruit that gets picked simply by printing out a piece of paper and having a shovel.
Have it or not have it, it's your choice. But this permit wouldn't exist and there wouldn't be a mechanism for fining you if there wasn't a reason for it.
