OLYMPIA, Wash. – Two Washington agencies have received over $1 million in federal funding for forest preservation.
According to the US Forest Service, $1 million will go to the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Resiliency Division, which focuses on reducing the risk of wildfire damage to state forests.
An additional $200,000 will go to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for waterway restoration in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and national forest land in Lewis County.
The funding boost comes just a week after the US Forest Service announced a $1 million grant for resilience efforts in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study published in early June found that carbon emissions are increasing the prevalence of wildfires and extreme weather events amidst another difficult wildfire season across the Inland Northwest.
