Washington HB 1578: Cascading Impacts of Wildfires Act

On May 10, 2023, the State of Washington updated its existing wildfire prevention regime by passing HB 1578, the Cascading Impacts of Wildfires Act, intended to improve community preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience to wildfires. HB 1578 was passed with consideration of the impacts of climate change on the forestry surrounding Western Washington, where there is considerable population growth. Additionally, the Washington Legislature concluded that the effects of wildfire smoke are hazardous, and it is consistent with the state’s environmental justice goals to protect public health through a wildfire prevention strategy. 

By fulfilling the Legislature’s goals, the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) must perform decadal assessments of areas that are at significant risk from wildfire. The Department’s analysis must include an analysis of “the predicted climate influence on wildfire risk in [Washington].” Accordingly, this analysis must contain enough information for the public, including local governments and recognized tribes to prepare for wildfire adaptation. 

To further help local communities prepare for wildfires, DNR must collaborate with the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division and the Washington state patrol to develop public safety evacuation strategies. The Department must also work with local communities to incorporate evacuation strategies in public safety management plans. 

DNR must also “expand community resilience and preparedness programming” for community-level and property-level wildfire readiness and for “supporting programs such as community resilience grants and service forestry.” 

DNR must also engage in cross-agency management. In executing the legislation’s goals for monitoring wildfire smoke, DNR must plan with the Department of Ecology, local clean air agencies, and the US forest service to “deploy temporary air monitors to assess smoke conditions during wildfires.” In addition to the air monitors, DNR must collaborate with the Department of Ecology for further information sharing and to disseminate the information to the public. Community outreach programs will be targeted toward “parts of [Washington] that have disproportionately high levels of contaminants and air pollutants” and overburdened and vulnerable communities. 

By 2028, DNR must implement a post-wildfire debris flow program, which identifies areas prone to hazards from debris flow following wildfire events. The program aims to “determine triggers for post-wildfire debris flow early warning for at-risk communities and infrastructure.” In addition to a debris flow program, the DNR must establish a statewide emergency stabilization and response team to implement hazard mitigation. 

 

Publication Date: May 10, 2023

Related Organizations:

  • State of Washington

Sectors:

Resource Category:

Resource Types:

  • Laws
  • Legislation
  • Monitoring

States Affected:

Impacts:

  • Wildfires

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