Olympia, Wash. – The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) Executive Committee has selected Jason Spadaro as its executive director.
This action follows Spadaro’s acceptance of the WFPA interim Executive Director role in July shortly after the sudden passing of then Executive Director Mark Doumit.
Former state legislator Mark Doumit dies at 59 columbian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from columbian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Home » Environment » Hundreds of firefighters. 20 bulldozers. Intentional burns: Inside Washington’s $328M push to break cycle of disastrous fires
Legislature unites in support of massive cash infusion to step up firefighting, improve forests and secure communities near the fire lines
After a devastating wildfire season that saw a baby boy die and 1,200 square miles of the state burn, Washington lawmakers are poised to fight fire with money. A lot of money.
Legislation that’s received unanimous support would see Washington spend an additional $125 million over the next two years to extinguish, prevent and live with fires. Both legislative houses have passed House Bill 1168 and Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign the bill, which would see the state spend $328 million on the efforts by 2027.
SALEM â Many parts of the U.S. are facing lumber shortages â and experts say the problem is acute in the West after 2020âs devastating wildfires.
Industry experts say several events led to the lumber shortage: lockdown orders and closures, new safety protocols that slowed production at mills, and a spike in home remodeling while Americans were quarantined followed by a massive wildfire season.
âThe industry is normally like this fine-tuned machine. A lot of events (in 2020) disrupted it,â said Cindy Mitchell, senior director of public affairs at the Washington Forest Protection Association, or WPFA.
Cumming Corp., an international cost consulting firm, said wildfires along the West Coast âhave led to a significant spike in certain material prices.â