Kim Schrier: “Wildfires in Washington State have been increasing in intensity and scale every year for the past few years, and our…”

“Wildfires in Washington State have been increasing in intensity and scale every year for the past few years, and our State and local fire departments are being called to respond like never before. Last year, Kittitas County, a county in my district, worked together with a neighboring district, closely together, to put out the Evans Creek fire. And both counties joined forces, they prevented tremendous damage, stopped the fire. However, only one county received Federal reimbursement money to help them pay the expenses; the other one is now left almost destitute having blown out their budget. So the money followed the county lines, not the fire lines. So my amendment ensures that small municipalities can get Federal reimbursement funds after fighting wildfires, regardless of where those county lines are. It will direct the Wildland Fire Leadership Council to provide recommendations on addressing interjurisdictional fire reimbursement challenges like this one and provide some clarity. As we face increasingly catastrophic wildfire seasons each year, stepping up to help a neighboring county should be encouraged. And a fairer distribution of Federal reimbursement distribution dollars would do just that. This is a commonsense amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support its adoption.…”