1-22-2019

OLYMPIA, Wash. — With the state several months away from wildfire season, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has proposed a long-range plan to begin dealing with the problems.

Franz released the 10-year plan last week as part of her $55 million budget request to the Legislature to improve the state’s firefighting abilities in the face of climate change and more residents moving into fire-prone areas.

The plan would add 30 full time and 40 seasonal firefighters to the Department of Natural Resources and add two helicopters to the firefighting fleet.

It would also create a wildland fire-training academy that different agencies could use.