In the Spring of 2016, the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 2928, the Forest Resiliency Burning Pilot project. This Pilot will examine the role of prescribed burning in creating healthier, more resilient forests.

Prescribed burning, or controlled burning, is a time-tested and effective tool that maximizes the benefits that low-intensity fire can provide within a variety of landscapes. Professional fire managers safely administer the right fire, in the right place, at the right time, and work closely with air quality officials to minimize smoke near people. Combined with strategic timber management and thinning, controlled burning can make forests and neighboring communities more resilient to wildfire, and help protect clean water, wildlife habitat, and forest products for generations to come.

The Pilot provides funding and momentum to:

• Safely complete controlled burns in priority areas

• Give 24 hour advance notice of burn approval to fire managers to encourage safe and successful completion of planned burns, and make it easier to complete multi-day burns
• Fully inform the public of planned burns, their purpose and projected effects
• Monitor how much smoke was forecasted and ultimately created by Pilot controlled burning and make recommendations for updating the DNR Smoke Management Plan
• Analyze and monitor fuel reductions and conditions of the forest stands before and after controlled burning
• Track outcomes and make recommendations for Pilot controlled burning to achieve more resilient forest conditions and reduce wildfire risks to communities in Washington