Rep. Schrier Receives Wildfire Update from State Forester, Chelan County Natural Resources Director
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) recently met with Washington state Forester George Geissler and Chelan County Natural Resources Director Mike Kaputa to receive an update on the state's wildfire season and to discuss planning for future fires. They also discussed forest resiliency and management.
"Our district has weathered several severe fires in the last few weeks and I know we are not done with fire season yet," said Rep. Schrier. "That's why it was so important to meet with Forrester Geissler and Director Kaputa this week to learn what they are expecting for the rest of this year, for future years, and how I can be the best advocate for our district and state. Our firefighters must have all of the funding and tools they need to keep our communities safe."
During the meeting Rep. Schrier was told that the state will cross the 1 million acres burned in the next few days. Over 700,000 of these acres burned just since Labor Day. They also discussed the need for more investments in forest resiliency. Our state needs year-round efforts on forest health, fire prevention, and community preparedness. And we need to build capacity for wildfire fighting at the same time. Lastly, they talked about the Federal Excess Personal Property Program (FEPP) that provides excess firefighting equipment from the Department of Defense to local fire departments. Rep. Schrier put an amendment in this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to ensure the equipment can be more equitably distributed to states like Washington with major wildfire threats.
Last week Rep. Schrier visited sites in Bonney Lake and Graham to assess wildfire damage and thank first responders. Her office also released a Wildfire Recovery Guide for families and businesses who have been affected by the recent wildfires. Residents of the 8th district are also encouraged to reach out to Rep. Schrier's Issaquah (425-657-1001) or Wenatchee (509-850-5340) offices if they have any questions.