Raising Insurance Fees to Fund Wildfire Protection

One of the impacts of climate change will be increased heat, drought and more wildfires. The cost of fighting wildfires is already eating up the budgets of agencies charged with fighting them. Here in Washington state, this was in the news again, Washington State DNR Wants More Than $62M a Year in Proactive Wildfire Fighting Funds.

With the next legislative session coming up in January, this item is being positioned in the news again as one solution to the budgetary shortfall in funding of wildfire protection. Washington state does not have an income tax and therefore fees are one tool that is relied upon again and again to fund government. 

It really is climate adaptation, since we are not preventing as much as reacting to an increased risk and hazard.