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August 7, 2017
Dear
12th District Friends and Neighbors,
It
is hard to believe that just a few months ago the snowpack in our region was significantly
above normal. While I am grateful for how the snowy and wet winter and spring has
moderated the 2017 fire season so far, the recent excessive heat and the smoke
in our area (even if it’s primarily from Canada) are reminders of the
responsibility we share in reducing our risk of wildfire.
Earlier
this year, the Legislature unanimously approved my Senate Bill 5546
to
begin a long-term effort to help reduce catastrophic wildfire. Passage of this
bill would not have been possible without the help and support of committed
local leaders, various statewide organizations, and our new Commissioner of
Public Lands Hilary Franz, who leads the state Department of Natural Resources
(DNR). She has made forest health a top priority and her agency worked
closely with me as this important policy change moved through the lawmaking
process.
Senator Hawkins and Commissioner Franz Host
July 31 Forest Health Summit
 More than 100 people joined me, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and local officials for a recent Forest Health Summit in Wenatchee, moderated by Rufus Woods.
Commissioner
Franz joined me for the signing of the bill in Olympia, and on July 31 she traveled
to Wenatchee to co-host a local Forest Health Summit. Held at the Wenatchee
Valley Museum and Cultural Center, this meeting provided community members a
direct opportunity to hear how public and private organizations are joining
forces and taking a proactive approach to wildfire management. The summit was –
in many ways – an extension of the ongoing community conversation that has
been under way since our devastating wildfires of 2014 and 2015.
I
could not have been more pleased with the discussion that we had and the
thoughtful questions from community members. My thanks go to the more than 100
people who attended, including many officials from throughout our region, and to
the panelists who fielded questions, all of whom represent key stakeholders in
improving forest health and reducing wildfire risk. In addition to Commissioner
Franz and me, the panelists included:
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Dr. Paul
Hessburg, The Wildfire Project and U.S. Forest Service
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Kevin
Overbay, Chelan County Commissioner
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Keith
Goehner, NCW Forest Health Collaborative and Chelan County Commissioner
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Tom
Bugert, The Nature Conservancy
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Jason
Callahan, Washington Forest Protection Association
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Annie Schmidt,
Washington State Fire Adapted Communities Network
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Teri
Tucker, U.S. Forest Service
I
am grateful to Rufus Woods, Wenatchee
World publisher, for moderating the discussion, and appreciated
that we began the evening with a 10-minute video from the Wenatchee-based
Wildfire Project. This group’s “Era of Megafires” multimedia presentation was a
key factor in beginning our important community conversation about wildfire and
provided me inspiration and information leading to the new forest health law.
About
2.7 million acres of forest in Washington are in poor health and close to half of
that acreage is under state or tribal management. The new law directs DNR to set
up a framework for assessing and treating the health of the fire-prone lands under
its authority. The goal is to treat 1 million acres over 16 years, most likely
through prescribed fire and mechanical thinning.
In
broader terms, the law creates a long-term partnership between DNR and the
Legislature. The agency implements the forest health work and provides policymakers
(and the public) with regular progress reports. With a new structure of
accountability and progress reviews the Legislature will be in a more informed
position to keep the much-needed funding coming.
A
recent development mentioned during the summit was an agreement with the Forest
Service that gives DNR “good neighbor authority.” As Commissioner Franz noted,
fire doesn’t pay attention to boundaries between state and federal land; the new
pact allows DNR to cross those boundaries as appropriate and conduct forest
health treatment on federal lands.
I
encourage you to view the Forest Health Summit, as broadcast
by Television Washington (TVW). Also, these links offer more information:
As
I stated in the final thoughts segment of the summit, “Doing big things isn’t
easy.” Restoring our state forests to reduce our risk of catastrophic wildfire
is a complicated and challenging long-term effort. Fortunately, the communities
of North Central Washington have a proud history of accomplishing seemingly
impossible tasks. If everyone can continue to engage in thoughtful dialog, accept
the challenges ahead, and work together, we can continue to make tremendous
progress.
Thank
you again for the opportunity to serve as your 12th District state senator.
Please contact my office anytime if you have questions.
Brad Hawkins
State Senator
Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District
E-mail:
brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Website: senatorbradhawkins.org
107 Newhouse Building
- P.O. Box 40412 | Olympia, WA 98504-0412
(360) 786-7622 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
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