Washington House passes wildfire bill written to map out future blazes
(The Center Square) – Six months after smoke and ash blacked out the skies of Washington, state lawmakers took their first steps to pay for wildfires to come.
House Bill 1168 would create Washington’s first Wildfire Response, Forest Restoration, and Community Resilience Account bolstering community preparedness, forest management, and a diverse firefighting force. It would also have the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) map out and assess 1 million acres for fire-prone land by 2033.
The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, and Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, passed the House by a vote of 96-0 on Tuesday.
“Hoping for a big snowpack or a wet summer is not a plan,” Springer said. “A 20-year strategy is critical. That must start now.”
The DNR reports wildfires between 2010 and 2019 in Washington have cost more than $613 million, about a third of which came out of the state general fund. Wildfire costs now average $153 million per year in the state. In 2020 alone, it cost $200,000 just to supply state firefighters with personal protection equipment during the pandemic.
“While some communities have suffered through the majority of our major fires, most every city in the state has seen the harmful effects of bad air quality as a result of catastrophic wildfires,” Kretz said.
The bill is also backed by a broad coalition including local governments, tribes, environmentalists who have pushed for legislation protecting underrepresented communities of color, especially Latino communities, in the path of Southeast Washington’s wildfire country.
“It’s crucial we pass this legislation for wildfire response and forest health because we see our Latinx and central Washington communities continuously not receiving access to the resources and information to ensure the health of our families,” said Lilliane Ballesteros, executive director for the Latino Community Fund. “By taking action today, we are providing a much-needed safe haven for our communities across Washington state.”
Tuesday also marked HB 1168’s last chance to make it to the Senate where it awaits assignment to the floor calendar on its potential path to becoming law.
The Tuesday cutoff date for bills to be voted out of their chamber of origin does not apply to tax and revenue bills necessary to the state budget, a label state lawmakers can apply to any bill they choose.
Washington’s 2021 legislative session adjourns on April 25.
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