John, 

Washingtonians deserve a state where all communities are better prepared to live safely with fire. Low-income communities, communities of color, Tribal Nations, and rural residents face greater exposure to wildfire but have fewer resources to reduce risks and recover from fires. That makes wildfire resilience a racial and economic justice issue.

Unfortunately, in 2025, state leaders cut wildfire resilience funding in half. This decision threatens to undo years of progress and shifts the costs of inaction back onto communities, just as federal wildfire programs face growing uncertainty. Demand that your legislators restore this funding now

Recent investments in wildfire resilience have worked, training local preparedness leaders, supporting community planning, assisting small forest landowners, and equipping fire districts. Every dollar invested in preparedness saves the state more than $8 in wildfire-related costs. Cutting this funding won’t save money, and it increases the risk of catastrophic fires and costly emergency responses.

Restore Wildfire Resilience Funding is an Environmental Priorities Coalition 2026 Priority.

Send a message to your state senator and representatives now to urge that they restore full funding for wildfire resilience.

Our legislators need to hear clearly that Washingtonians expect them to protect lives, livelihoods, and landscapes, not balance the budget on the backs of vulnerable communities. Preventing disaster is always more just, and more affordable, than responding after it’s too late.

Onward,

Katie Fields (she/her)
Forests, Fire, and Communities Senior Manager, Washington Conservation Action