Rep. Schrier Invites Chief of Forest Service to 8th District to Help Communities Prepare for Future Wildfires

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) recently met with Chief Vicki Christiansen of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service for a meeting on the 2019 wildfire outlook. At the bipartisan meeting held by the Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Schrier formally invited Chief Christiansen to visit Washington's 8^th Congressional District to further the goals outlined in the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

In 2018, over 438,000 acres were burned by 1,732 wildland fires in Washington State. So far in 2019, more than 136,000 acres have been burned before the height of Washington's fire season.

Earlier this summer Rep. Schrier held two wildfire prevention town hall meetings, one in Wenatchee and one in Issaquah. At the town hall in Wenatchee, Rep. Schrier announced that the National Weather Service is planning to make positioning adjustments to the Pendleton Doppler Radar which will allow for greater weather radar coverage and accurate tracking of wildfires in the valley.

Rep. Schrier's letter to Chief Christiansen is below.

Dear Chief Christiansen:

I am writing to formally invite you to visit Washington State's 8^th Congressional district to further the goals outlined in the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

As highlighted in National Fire and Aviation Director Legarza's recent testimony to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, more than 70,000 communities are at risk from wildfire yet only six percent of these communities have reduced their risk through mitigation actions. I am interested in exploring ways my office can partner with USFS to implement provisions focused on wildfire technology modernization, such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to help detect fires, relay smoke projections, and aid our decision support systems.

Since June, I have held two community events dedicated to wildfire prevention. In fact, three of the top five cities most exposed to wildfire danger are located in the 8^th Congressional district.[1] I commend the USFS's efforts to partner with federal, state, tribal and local governments to help communities better prepare for wildfire by highlighting the importance of Community Wildfire Protection Plans.

Forests are fundamental to our identity in the Pacific Northwest and a critical part of our communities and economic livelihood. As a new member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I am excited to partner with your agency to better prepare communities for wildlife and explore innovative ways to improve forest health to prevent future fires.