Even as the state battles wildfires that have smothered parts of the state in smoke for the last two summers, Washington lawmakers have underfunded efforts to control the burning.
Since 2015, the legislature has given the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) — the main state agencies tasked with preventing and combating wildfires — just $18 million out of the $40 million they requested for their operating budget, according to a tally obtained by The Seattle Times from state's Office of Financial Management. The allocations even fell short of Gov. Jay Inslee's request for $27 million. Out of the $25 million DNR and WDFW asked for in their supplemental budget from 2017 to 2019 to start implementing a 20-year plan to thin the state's forests, lawmakers granted $18 million.