Sign in Subscribe
Natural resources

Funding Rollback for Wildfire Prevention Sparks Concerns in Washington State

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Washington's top public lands official, Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, and others have warned that the state's funding rollback for forest health and wildfire prevention could hinder efforts to prevent severe fires in the coming years. House Bill 1168, approved by the state Legislature in 2021, committed $500 million over eight years to the Department of Natural Resources for wildfire preparedness and response. However, as lawmakers confronted a budget shortfall, they slashed the wildfire preparedness funding to just $60 million for the next two years.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Department of Natural Resources has received $115 million in the last two-year budget and $130 million in the one before that, but the funding was slashed to just $60 million for the next two years.
  • The funding rollback has sparked concerns that it will hinder efforts to prevent severe fires in the coming years, with Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove warning that "if next year's supplemental budget does not restore some of that funding, we're going to see more fires like this, they're going to be larger, and they're going to cost the taxpayers a lot more money in the back end."
  • The Department of Natural Resources has worked on thinning out flammable vegetation in forests around the state since receiving the dedicated wildfire preparedness funding in 2021, but the reduced funding will "not going to allow us to do as much work as we normally do," said Collin Haffey, post-fire recovery program manager for the department.
  • The Rimrock Retreat Fire, which burned 46,600 acres in the Yakima Valley, was significantly mitigated by the Department of Natural Resources' pre-fire actions, including tree thinning and prescribed burns in the Oak Creek drainage area, which reduced the risk of high-intensity fires and supported biodiversity.
  • The blaze that started near Burdoin Fire in the Columbia River Gorge had burned 11,269 acres and was just 13% contained as of Friday, leading to the closure of Highway 14 and evacuation orders for hundreds of residents.

Statistics:

  • $500 million: the amount of funding committed over eight years to the Department of Natural Resources for wildfire preparedness and response through House Bill 1168.
  • $115 million: the amount of funding received by the Department of Natural Resources in the last two-year budget.
  • $60 million: the amount of funding slashed by the state Legislature for the next two years for wildfire preparedness.
  • 11,269 acres: the area burned by the Burdoin Fire in the Columbia River Gorge.
  • 13%: the containment rate of the Burdoin Fire as of Friday.
  • 46,600 acres: the area burned by the Rimrock Retreat Fire in the Yakima Valley.

Sources:

  • Washington State Standard: "If state funding for forest health and wildfire prevention isn't ramped back up in the next legislative session, it could hinder efforts to prevent severe fires in the coming years, Washington's top public lands official and others warned this week." (https://washingtonstatestandard.com)
  • House Bill 1168: "Approved by the state Legislature in 2021, which committed $500 million over eight years to the state Department of Natural Resources for wildfire preparedness and response." (https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1168-S2.PL.pdf#page=1)
  • The Department of Natural Resources: "has worked on thinning out flammable vegetation in forests around the state since receiving the dedicated wildfire preparedness funding in 2021." (quote from Collin Haffey, post-fire recovery program manager)

Read more