Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell praised a new proposal for a permanent program to pay for rehabilitation work after wildfires at a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
The proposal was part of the new budget request for the U.S. Forest Service that would apply to North Central Washington. Cantwell spoke specifically about the Bolt Creek Fire that shut down U.S. Highway 2 last year and the importance of keeping communities operating. The Forest Service announced efforts to prevent landslides and floods along Highway 2 last October after receiving a letter requesting help from Cantwell and 8th District Congresswoman Kim Schrier. During the hearing, Cantwell also addressed the National Interagency Fire Center wildfire outlook, which shows areas in Central Washington to have above normal significant fire potential in July.
Cantwell asked U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore what can be done to make sure there's enough personnel ready to fight this fire season. Moore replied that the Forest Service is requesting additional capacity and funding for an additional 975 firefighters and support personnel.