Features Feb 26, 2020 at 4:00 am

Washington's lands commissioner is fighting wildfires, insurance companies, and the status quo across the state.

Hilary Franz in the field with firefighters from the Central Washington Interagency Fire Training Academy. Courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources

Comments

2

That didn't work, @1.

3

@1. That policy worked well for Weyerhaeuser. It didn't work so well for the rest of us.

4

“The focus on building relationships seems to have paid off.”

Wow, you mean acting like adults, getting out of our bubbles, and sitting down in real conversations instead of screaming about how the other side is Evil on Twitter (or Slog) gets results? It is truly sad that leaders like Franz seem to be the new exception in this regard.

5

"Wildfire threatens nearly 2.2 million homes across the state." Maybe stop building in fire-prone areas? What a ridiculous statistic! If that doesn't open your eyes to the problems of unchecked development, I don't know what does.

6

1: UH, no, it didn't. It came close to wiping out the forests and pushed us towards climate crisis. We can't go back to letting the timber industry work the way it did before the late Sixties.

8

Good lord, what a puff piece. This needs to be reported as an in-kind donation to the Reelect Hilary campaign. I say this as someone who supports a state income tax, regularly votes for school bonds and levies, and has voted no to every boneheaded initiative that Tim Eyman has shat out. What Franz is seeking is a slush fund to help prop up the timber industry and keep DNR's beneficiaries fat. There isn't one shred of evidence that "fireproofing" forests works. But there's plenty of evidence that the vast system of logging roads necessary to implement such a massive boondoggle allows easy and pervasive access to the worst firebugs of all: us. Keep a close eye on your wallet.

9

@5 - I totally agree. Normally I am all for society subsidizing those who need it by a universal tax. But in this case - No. I do not want to pay to protect mega mansions on the outskirts of North Bend.

10

wtf are you talking about David? DNR still way overharvests, selling timber to private companies all the fucking time. Why do you bring up Weyerhauser, they had their own land, I don't know they were ever a buyer of DNR timber sales. DNR sells timber sales to a variety of private timber companies, there has been no change in policy. They can't, its enshrined in the fucking State constitution. For crying out loud at least use google before you post a bunch of crap and expose how stupid you are.

11

"Stumps for Schools" is Stupid.

12

She looks like a Hollywood movie star -- not sure which one, but , whoa....

I didn't see a ring on her finger, in fact, I didn't see any fingers. Flippers (not that there's Anything wrong with that)(probably a Great swimmer!)?

Any way I have the same sign in my bathroom.
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