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Inslee declares wildfire state of emergency, limited burn ban

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide state of emergency on Tuesday relating to the growing risk of wildfires, including a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through September 30.

"Washington is facing a historic drought and we have already experienced record-breaking heat. We must be vigilant in our efforts to prevent wildfires, and the loss of life and destruction of land and property that comes with them,” Inslee said. “We don’t want a repeat of recent years with dangerous wildfires across the state that have destroyed towns, killed livestock and resulted in weeks of unhealthy air quality. I urge everyone to do their part to help protect our beautiful state and all our communities.”

“We have seen a record-breaking number of fires for this early in the summer,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “Extreme drought conditions leave communities across our state at risk as fire danger continues to climb. I’m asking everyone to do their part and take precautions to prevent wildfires. Our firefighters on the frontlines depend on us to help keep them safe.”

Although this order includes some burn ban exceptions (for example, the use of gas-fueled stoves in some circumstances and also small, recreational campfires in contained structures on a person’s private property) nothing in the order supersedes more restrictive provisions by a lawful authority, like city or county governments. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has implemented a burn ban for all state parks. More information is available here.

The proclamation also activates the Washington National Guard to assist in wildfire suppression efforts. 

Read the full proclamation here.

Inslee meets with Point Roberts residents on impacts of Canadian border closure

Gov. Inslee visited Point Roberts on Friday to hear from residents about the impacts of the prolonged closure of the Canadian border in response to the COVID pandemic. The governor publicly reiterated his call for the U.S. and Canadian governments to find a way to reopen the border to help communities like Point Roberts, which is only accessible by land via border crossings with Canada.

"We're working hard to find more ways to support Point Roberts, building on the strategic reserve funding I announced last month," Inslee said.

Funds of $100,000 from the state Strategic Reserve Fund will help provide food security for the community and avoid a food crisis in this remote area of the state. The strategic reserve funds went to Point Roberts' International Marketplace, the only grocery store in Point Roberts. The Marketplace recently announced that due to losses associated with continued closures of the U.S.-Canada border, they might be forced to close on July 15. With these funds, the grocery store will be able to retain its 10 employees and possibly add three more jobs when the border re-opens and business picks up.

These state funds complement federal funding support provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other COVID-19 relief legislation, which were secured thanks to the efforts of U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene.

Inslee was joined by DelBene, state Reps. Alicia Rule and Sharon Shewmake, and Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu on the visit to Point Roberts.

“I strongly support the re-opening of the U.S.-Canada border to support our border communities in Washington and British Columbia. The Point Roberts community has been isolated due to the closure throughout the pandemic, and while all Washington communities have been impacted, the situation up there is unique,” Inslee said. 

Inslee became just the third governor to ever visit Point Roberts, after Govs. Albert Rosellini and Gary Locke visited during their time in office, respectively.

Background:

• Inslee sent a letter earlier this month to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging an immediate full or partial reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border to provide relief for individuals and communities impacted by the prolonged closure.
• The recent letter follows two previous letters the governor had sent to Prime Minister Trudeau (in August 2020 and February 2021) advocating for relief for the residents of Point Roberts.

Inslee visits Mt. St. Helens with Bill Nye

Gov. Jay Inslee hiked Johnston Ridge near Mount St Helens Thursday with educational television star Bill Nye to discuss the benefits of expanding outdoor education opportunities for students.

The two discussed a proposed expansion of the Mount St. Helens Institute's Science and Learning Center. The Mount St. Helens Institute is a private nonprofit operating under a permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Nye is a board member for the institute.

The governor's budget included -- and the Legislature approved -- funds to study the expansion and benefits of outdoor schooling in Washington state.

"The next generation needs to be ready to adapt to climate change and outdoor education is essential for us to prepare for what needs to be done," Inslee said.

Inslee later declared Nye the "Washingtonian of the Day." Nye is a longtime Washingtonian who first reached fame through his public broadcast show "Bill Nye The Science Guy", which was produced and largely filmed in the state of Washington.