Driest January in decades, federal funding freeze raise alarm for WA wildfires

Washington state is experiencing its driest January in nearly four decades, raising concerns about a potentially dangerous wildfire season ahead

The lack of rainfall is already alarming, but there are new worries on the horizon: grants awarded to firefighting and mitigation efforts could be frozen under a new executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

Dave Upthegrove, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, has voiced concerns that the federal government’s decision to pause nearly all federal aid, grants, and loans could leave local communities more vulnerable when fire season hits. 

While the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) initially feared a significant impact, later clarifications suggested the freeze would only affect certain grants. 

Upthegrove is concerned that projects to eliminate brush and other fire fuels, as well as craft escape/preparedness plans, could be delayed or abandoned.

"If we want to be preventing these kinds of wildfires, we ought to be investing in that kind of work," Upthegrove argued. "It saves money in the long run. It would be shortsighted to pull back funding for that kind of work."

OMAK, WA - AUGUST 22: A makeshift fire truck puts water on a wildfire, which is part of the Okanogan Complex, as it burns through brush on August 22, 2015 near Omak, Washington.  (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

By the numbers:

Between 2010 and 2014, Washington spent an average of $24 million annually on wildfire-related efforts. That number jumped to $83 million between 2015 and 2019. However, officials in Olympia cannot bankroll these efforts alone.

"The federal government is an important partner in wildfire prevention here in Washington State," said Upthegrove. "We’re really concerned about the potential impact of pulling back on some of this funding."

Dig deeper:

Data collected by the US Forest Service shows, over the last few years, the federal government has provided more than $50 million in aid to Washington state communities and agencies aiming to bolster firefighting and mitigation efforts. 

Eastern Washington is seeing a disproportionately large share of federal funding. The Spokane metro area alone received roughly $13.7 million. Western Washington, particularly along the coast and in the Puget Sound area, receives relatively smaller amounts. 

Clallam County was awarded $125,000. Snohomish County received $250,000 to create a wildfire protection plan.

"It’s not about the politics of it, it’s about making sure everyone is safe and that we are funding wildfire prevention work, whether you’re in a blue county or a red county," remarked Upthegrove. 

"When people play political games with funding like this, it could hurt real people's lives."

The Source: Information for this article celoms from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

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