VIDEO: Washington’s Department of Natural Resources is looking ahead to this year’s fire season after the state legislature restored 10s of millions of dollars to do so. The Public Lands Commissioner of Washington says that for the past year, DNR’s wildlife budget was essentially cut in half. Now, he says this decision from lawmakers will make them better prepared for what he says will be a difficult season in the next few months.
Commissioner of Public Lands for Washington state Dave Upthegrove says a lack of wildlife funding for Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) puts the state at great risk come this wildfire season. “We dodged a bullet,” said Upthegrove. The Washington State Legislature previously cut $60 million from DNR’s wildlife budget out of $120 million last year in an effort to combat the state’s deficit.
Those funds, according to Upthegrove, went toward wildlife preparation. That includes purchasing of equipment and staff to make sure they respond to fires immediately, so they don’t spread any further. This year, lawmakers gave that money back to DNR in a revised state budget. He says a big reason for that money coming back to DNR is top fire officials like himself, educating lawmakers from Western Washington on how wildfires play a part in people’s lives statewide.
KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane
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