Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz told state lawmakers Monday that an ongoing, dedicated source of funding is critical to tackling Washington’s worsening wildfire seasons.
Franz testified before Senate Ways and Means Committee during its public hearing for the chamber’s proposed 2019-2021 operating budget.
Last week, Franz and Senate Democrats announced a proposal to establish a dedicated revenue source and raise $62.5 million annually to fund wildfire suppression and prevention. More than 2.2 million homes in Washington are exposed to wildfire, and Franz says suppression costs in the Evergreen State have averaged $153 million annually over the past five years.
New funding would come from increasing the tax on premiums for property and casualty insurance from 2 percent to 2.52 percent. The increase would cost the average household less than $2 per month. (WA Department of Natural Resources)
