Fire-prone communities will get support
By Natalie Johnson
A bill that would include funding for the Department of Natural Resources’ new Wildfire Ready Neighbors program, which was launched in Okanogan County last week, has passed the state Legislature as of Friday (April 23).
On April 19, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz told a crowd of Methow Valley residents House Bill 1168 would provide $13 million in funding for the project, intended to reduce wildfire danger in fire-prone counties.
The bill passed both the state House and Senate without any “no” votes.
“The Legislature finds that increasing the pace and scale of science-based forest health activities to reduce hazardous fuels and restore fire resilient forests … will reduce the risk and severity of wildfires …” the bill reads.
The bill notes that damage to property from wildfires has grown exponentially in the past decade in Washington, that it has had effects on public and private land and that it also increases risks of flooding and landslides. It would fully fund the DNR’s Wildland Fire Protection 10-year strategic plan and 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan.
Overall, the bill would provide $125 million per biennium, or two-year budget cycle, for the next four biennia, for a total of $500 million in funding.
“I was very proud to join my legislative colleagues in the House and Senate by supporting House Bill 1168 this session,” 12th District Sen. Brad Hawkins wrote. “This bill takes a major step forward this session on forest health and wildfire response investments, establishing a legislative intent to invest $500 million over the next eight years for wildfire response, forest restoration, and community wildfire resilience. The effort to pass this expanded policy has been a multi-year effort by Commissioner Franz and her DNR staff.”
Project funding
With the funding, the state will create a Wildfire Response, Forest Restoration and Community Resilience Account to fund projects from state agencies, federally recognized tribes, local governments and other groups that are consistent with the state’s 20-year forest health plan and the 10-year wildland fire protection plan.
Eligible projects could include efforts to improve forest health, protect homes and private property from fire and other projects.
“Appropriations for community resilience activities funded by the wildfire response, forest restoration and community resilience account shall not be less than 15% of the biennial appropriated funding,” the bill reads.
Funding from this appropriation is not for emergency fire suppression costs.
For more information on the DNR’s wildland fire and forest health plans, go to www.dnr.wa.gov.
The next step is for Gov. Jay Inslee to sign the legislation into law.
Another wildfire related bill, Senate Bill 5158, first introduced by Hawkins, has also been passed by the Legislature. This bill would implement recommendations offered by the Electric Utilities Wildland Task Force on wildfire prevention, and how fire and power organizations can work together better.
