Committee hears memorial and bill urging federal wildfire capacity and voluntary mitigation incentives
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Summary
The committee heard Senate Joint Memorial 8015 asking Congress to ensure new federal wildfire consolidation preserves response capacity and protect firefighters, and Senate Bill 5919, which would encourage voluntary insurance and fire-district incentives for wildfire mitigation. Tribal leaders, conservation groups, unions and industry generally supported federal capacity; SB 5919’s sponsor described voluntary incentives to encourage defensible space and other practices.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 18 received a staff briefing and public testimony on two wildfire-related items: Senate Joint Memorial 8015, which asks Congress and federal agencies to ensure the newly consolidated federal wildland firefighting programs maintain operational capacity and safeguard firefighter health and natural resources, and Senate Bill 5919, which encourages fire districts and insurance providers to develop voluntary incentives for mitigation and agricultural practices.
Lily Smith (committee staff) explained SJ Memorial 8015 seeks specific federal steps — including ensuring the consolidated U.S. Wildland Fire Service is operational by April and avoiding reorganizations during active fire periods — to avoid reductions in firefighting capacity. Senator Shelley Short, prime sponsor, said the state relies on federal partners to coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and local districts and called for care during consolidation so response capacity is not reduced.
Public testimony was broadly supportive. Jesse Pastana (The Nature Conservancy) cited low snowpack and increased wildfire and smoke-related public-health risks and urged federal action. Anthony Mixer (citizen) and Matt Dohmenet (Washington Forest Protection Association) stressed the need for a well-staffed federal response and complementary state measures (funding and "good-neighbor" authority). Seamus Petrie (Washington Public Employees Association) emphasized interagency cooperation and urged restoration of funding to DNR’s wildfire prevention and response programs.
Senate Bill 5919, presented by Sen. Mark Schoesler, would create an optional framework for insurers and fire districts to offer incentives for best practices such as defensible space, equipment readiness and notification of red-flag warnings. Schoesler said voluntary incentives lower barriers for carriers to offer premium discounts that could reduce wildfire risk; Representative Springer asked whether carriers needed legislative authority to provide such incentives, and the sponsor said actuarial filings to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner are often a practical hurdle and that the bill lowers those barriers.
No votes were taken during the hearings. Committee members signaled support for further conversation and noted coordination needs between federal, state and local responders and funding priorities for wildfire prevention and response.