Federal Infrastructure Money Being Used to Help Curb Wildfires in Central Washington

The U.S. Forest Service is putting together what's called a 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which includes a major focus on Central Washington.

It includes the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as part of almost 2.5 million acres of federal, state, tribal and other lands stretching from Winthrop to Naches.

Kari Grover Wier heads the Washington effort, and she says it's meant to reduce the impact of wildfires that will always occur in the region.

"The goal is to reduce the tree density and tree spacing so that when a wildfire comes through, firefighters can be more successful in protecting communities, and then also those forest eco systems accept that fire more resiliently," said Grover Wier.

Central Washington is one of 10 areas across the country that are part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which is being paid for by the massive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress last year.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, along with the state and other partners are expecting to treat 24,000 acres this year and around 124,000 acres total in over the next three years.

The Forest expects to receive $24.6 million in funding this year and $102.6 million between now and 2024.

The money will be used to reduce the risk of fire across four counties - Chelan, Okanogan, Kittitas and Yakima - and address urgent challenges, such as the expanding risk to cities, their local economies and natural resources.

Grover Wier says the increasing devastation of wildfires is also taking a toll on firefighters.

"We have folks that are working more of a fire year now instead of a fire season," Grover Wier said. "And so, not only are wildfires impacting our communities, but impacting our firefighters as well."

The first couple of years of the project is planned out while years 3-10 are still being determined.

Grover Wier says her group is also working closely with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, which has a 20-year strategic plan to deal with wildfires.

Grover Wier has been assigned to head the Central Washington effort in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, while she normally functions as the District Ranger for the Chelan and Entiat Ranger Districts in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest.