Commissioner of Public Lands testifies in favor of statewide wildfire impacts bill

OLYMPIA – With Western Washington wildfire impacts still top of mind after the Bolt Creek Fire belched smoke across the Puget lowlands this past October, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz testified in favor of House Bill 1578 before the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on Wednesday February 8.

The bill, which has bipartisan support, would secure $12.8 million over the next biennium to prepare communities for wildfire smoke risks and impacts, expand community resilience efforts statewide, and manage post-wildfire risks including landslides and debris flows.

“No one is immune from the impacts of wildfire in Washington state,” said Commissioner Franz, who leads the Department of Natural Resources. “Whether your home or business is in the path of the fire or you’re trying to breathe through choking smoke, wildfire touches all of us.”

Among other things, HB 1578 would see DNR expand its already popular Wildfire Ready Neighbors program from eastern to western Washington. Three pilot programs in development in Pierce, Thurston and Mason counties would become permanent, along with five additional high-risk counties in western Washington.

The bill also takes steps towards reducing health impacts from wildfires and smoke through a multi-pronged approach, establishing a statewide smoke monitoring and predictive services team while enabling the agency to deploy mobile air quality monitoring equipment, conduct simulation modeling, and provide real-time data and smoke exposure forecasts to support community-level public health efforts.

HB 1578 was sponsored in the state House of Representatives by Reps. Larry Springer (D-Kirkland) and Joel Kretz (R-Wauconda) and in the state Senate by Senator Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro-Woolley) and Senator Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham).