Title: An act relating to wildfire prevention and protection.

Brief Description: Establishing the wildfire prevention and protection work group.

Sponsors: Senators Doumit, Morton and Parlette.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation: 1/26/06, 2/1/06 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEAN & RECREATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6603 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair; Oke, Ranking Minority Member; Fraser, Morton, Spanel, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff: Vic Moon (786-7469)

Background: There have been several major forest fire studies done in the last ten years. These can be reviewed in order to make recommendations to the Legislature. Funding, levels of protection, who protects, unprotected areas, and local and state government policies are all areas which could be addressed.

Summary of Substitute Bill: A wildfire prevention and protection work group is created to review existing studies and make recommendations to the Legislature. A report from the group will be due December 1, 2006. There is appropriated $35,000 from the general fund to the Senate to cover travel costs for the members.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The membership of the work group is expanded to twenty-one members so all interested parties can work together to develop recommendations for the Legislature.

Appropriation: $35,000 general fund.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: Yes.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: We don't need any more studies and this approach is a good idea to help the Legislature address the growing wildfire problems in Washington.

Testimony Against: None

Who Testified: PRO: John Stuhlmiller, Washington State Farm Bureau; Jim Hinton, Washington Cattlemen's Association; Ryan Spiller, Washington Fire Commissioners; Jack Field Washington Cattleman's Association; Bill Schmidt; Vicki Christiansen, Department of Natural Resources; Peter Heide, Washington Forest Protection; Association Bud Hovey, Okanogan County Commissioner.