Good Neighbor Bill Headed to Governor’s Desk

12th District Senator Brad Hawkins' Good Neighbor bill was passed out of the House yesterday and now heads to the Governor's desk for signature. The legislation would create an account in the state treasury to process revenues collected under the Good Neighbor Authority agreement entered into last year between the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. "The unanimous support for my bill is more confirmation of the Legislature’s commitment to improving forest health and reducing wildfires across our state,” said Hawkins. Similar to Hawkins’ previous legislation, many stakeholder groups supported passage of the bill, including The Nature Conservancy. “Work to improve the health of federal forests will complement the efforts we are making with state lands. I am thrilled at the bipartisan support for this important partnership.” Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz praised the legislation saying it would help them, "Get to work building healthier, more resilient forests across all of Washington." The bill includes language that will allow it to take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.