Bill > HB1563

This bill establishes a prescribed fire claims fund pilot program to address Washington state's forest health crisis and encourage the use of prescribed and cultural burning. Recognizing that wildfires have burned an average of 470,000 acres annually and that approximately 3 million acres in eastern Washington need active management, the legislature aims to reduce barriers to prescribed burning by creating a financial safety net. The pilot program, to be administered by the Office of Risk Management in consultation with the state department, will provide up to $2,000,000 per claim for eligible losses resulting from prescribed fires or cultural burns conducted by certified burn managers or cultural fire practitioners on department-protected or tribal lands. To qualify for reimbursement, claims must be for property damage, economic losses, reasonable burn-related costs, or suppression expenses, and must not result from criminal or negligent acts. The program explicitly excludes burns with existing federal coverage and is designed to encourage more proactive landscape management, as prescribed burns can reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, and produce less smoke than wildfires. The pilot program will run until June 30, 2033, and its implementation is contingent on specific funding being allocated by June 30, 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1563&Year=2025&Initiative=false