DNR Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Connecting with non-English speakers is still a challenge during emergencies

By Johanna Bejarano August 3, 2023

Wildfires are always dangerous – but imagine not understanding the warnings. That’s a real challenge for communities with language barriers, and Washington emergency agencies say there is still a long way to go despite efforts to break those barriers.Read More

Washington Department of Natural Resources pauses King County timber auction

By Lauren Gallup July 26, 2023

On Monday, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) decided to pause an auction of 102 acres of public, forested lands to harvest for timber in King County that had been scheduled for Tuesday. King County council members wrote a letter to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and the Board of Natural Resources last week, urging them to defer the auction. Read More

Whatcom County makes no forest conservation recommendation, seeks clarity from DNR

By Lauren Gallup January 12, 2023

The Whatcom County council approved 5-2 to send a letter to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, saying that are not ready to issue specific recommendations on Phase II of the department's carbon project. Image captured by Lauren Gallup.

The Whatcom County Council made no specific recommendations on which county timberlands to conserve for the next phase of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ carbon offset project. In the letter, the council affirmed its commitment to work with the department, and instead of offering recommendations, asked the DNR to provide more information about the Read More

Judge rules DNR violated environmental policy; department amends 5 timber sales

By Lauren Gallup November 3, 2022

Part of the Box of Rain timber sale that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources approved to go to auction in December.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources violated state environmental laws when it failed to account for climate change, according to a Jefferson County Superior Court ruling. Last week, a superior court ruled the Washington Department of Natural Resources violated the state’s environmental protection act procedures in its preparation for two timber sales. Read More

Reporter Debrief: Discussing The Fight For Legacy Forests

By Lauren Gallup April 1, 2022

The Washington Department of Natural Resources manages 3 million acres of forest land / Photo by Olena Sergienko, Unsplash In this Facebook Live Reporter Debrief, Northwest Public Broadcasting reporter Lauren […]Read More

The Fight For Legacy Forests – Part 3: The Supreme Court Case

By Lauren Gallup March 30, 2022

The Washington Department of Natural Resources manages 3 million acres of forest land / Photo by Olena Sergienko, Unsplash Listen In Part Three of her series on “The Fight For […]Read More

It’s Very Hot, It’s Tinder Dry, And Wildfire Conditions Are ‘Unusually Risky’ At This Point In The Summer

By Courtney Flatt July 4, 2021

Information on public fire danger signs comes from the Nation Fire Danger Rating System, which is being updated for the first time in more than four decades. CREDIT: JACOB FRANK/NPS

The Northwest is primed for fire season, and not in a good way. East of the Cascades, forecasters say this year could be worse than recent record-breaking fire seasons. Read More

Washington Lands Agency Seeks Big Funding Bill To Combat Increasingly Bigger Fire Seasons

By Courtney Flatt January 12, 2021

Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, walking here with former Malden Mayor Chris Ferrell, is working with legislators to find more money for wildfire suppression and prevention. CREDIT: Doug Nadvornick/SPR

This marks the second year the state Department of Natural Resources has pushed for legislation to expand Washington’s firefighting efforts. This time DNR is seeking $125 million every two years, during a legislative session complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.Read More

UPDATES: Crews Make Good Progress In Eastern Washington Fires; Hundreds Of Homes Burned

By NWPB News September 16, 2020

The Inchelium Complex, comprised of three smaller fires, is burning in timber and grasslands on the eastern side of the reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shown here on Sept. 12, 2020. CREDIT: InciWeb

Labor Day 2020 lived up to its name if you’re a firefighter. It was a day that set up for numerous fires in central and eastern Washington that have burned tens of thousands of acres, and possibly many more. At least 80 fires started in Washington in what officials call a historic fire event. Read More

Crews Optimistic For Getting Upper Hand In Palmer Fire; Nearby Camera Lookout Assists The Fight

By NWPB News August 24, 2020

A plane drops water over the Palmer Fire in Okanogan County, Wash., Aug. 20, 2020. CREDIT: Eric Risdal/USFS/InciWeb

The fire grew fast when it first started Tuesday, Aug. 18, quickly becoming the top priority in the state. Fire managers said Sunday night they were really pleased with the progress. Crews did burnout operations over the weekend, a method of basically fighting fire with fire.Read More

Okanogan County Fire Grows; Inslee Declares Emergency Exactly 5 Years After Twisp Firefighters Killed

By NWPB News August 19, 2020

The Palmer Fire in Okanogan County, southwest of Oroville, seen from the Aeneas Mountain Lookout Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, 2020. Smoke from a fire in nearby British Columbia is also visible.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide emergency Wednesday to help with fires burning in on the Olympic Peninsula and in central and eastern Washington. Read More

Washington Firefighter Quarantining With COVID; It’s A Test Of Safety Plan Ahead Of Wildfire Weather

By Courtney Flatt August 10, 2020

Thinning, mowing and prescribed fire are used in Ponderosa pine forests to maintain an open forest floor. CREDIT: Jes Burns/OPB/EarthFix

The firefighter contracted COVID-19 outside of the fire camp. He tested positive after he left the fire. The firefighter came into contact with 14 others, who have now been quarantined and aren’t showing symptoms right now, according to the DNR. This year, fire camps have been kept smaller and more spaced out – to help prevent widespread outbreaks. Read More

With Fire Season In Full Swing, Corrections Crews Adapt To Pandemic Safety Measures

By Courtney Flatt July 29, 2020

A member of a Washington Department of Corrections fire crew assisting on a previous controlled burn. Courtesy of Washington DOC

As wildfire season heats up, Washington fire managers are working out new ways for incarcerated people to help on the fire lines and stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Correctional crews have helped put out fires and work in fire camp kitchens for decades. And things are a little different this year.Read More

Fire Conditions Heat Up, State Burn Ban In Effect As Anglin Fire Near Tonasket Forces Evacuations

By NWPB News July 28, 2020

The Anglin Fire burning east of Tonasket, Washington, July 28, 2020 in a mix of sagebrush, grasses, and light timber. Courtesy of Okanogan County Emergency Management/video

In response to growing fire potential and high temperatures nearing and surpassing 100 degrees, on Tuesday state public lands commissioner Hillary Franz issued a statewide burn ban The order took effect July 28 and lasts through September 30, unless fire conditions improve. Read More

Washington Has Seen A Significant Rise In Wildfire Starts So Far This Year

By Courtney Flatt June 25, 2020

A helicopter uses a bucket to drop water on the Milepost 22 wildfire, Thursday, June 21, 2018, near Vantage, Wash. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/TED S. WARREN

Washington fire managers say they’ve seen a significant number of wildfires in “every corner of the state.” So far this year, the state Department of Natural Resources says it has responded to more than 468 wildfires of varying sizes – nearly double the 10-year average for an entire fire season. But this year’s unprecedented uptick in the number of fires has an unforeseen Read More

Outdoor Enthusiasts Greet News Of Reopening In Washington With Cheers Of Victory

By Tom Banse April 28, 2020

A protester reels in a fake fish near poles marking a six-foot social distance on a boat on Lake Union in Seattle April 26, 2020 during a protest against Washington state's current ban on recreational fishing. CREDIT: Ted S. Warren/AP

In Olympia on Monday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced that restrictions on fishing, hunting, hiking and golfing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will begin easing next week on May 5. Inslee also announced most state parks, state forestlands and state-managed boat ramps will reopen on that Tuesday.Read More

Fire Camp Germ Spread Is Dicey In Normal Times. COVID-19 Could Rip Through Crews This Season

By Anna King April 20, 2020

Dillon Sanders looks on as a collection of wildland firefighters train for an upcoming season. Sanders is the owner of Inbound LLC in Oakridge, Oregon, which runs 20-person hand crews and 13 engines for fire suppression. CREDIT: TONY SCHICK

This year, fire camp could be as dangerous as the wildfires, and top Western managers are deep in planning how to make fire camps COVID-19 ready for fire crews. Hilary Franz is Washington’s commissioner of public lands. She says state, federal, tribal and local officials are trying to make fighting wildfires safe during a pandemic. Read More

Washington Public Lands Are Still Closed. So Please Stop Going Around Closure Signs, Officials Ask

By Courtney Flatt April 4, 2020

State-managed parks, forest, natural areas and other access points like boat launches are closed until at least May 5 to comply with Gov. Jay Inslee's continued "stay home, stay healthy" order. CREDIT: Washington DNR

Some rules aren’t meant to be broken. Rules like Washington’s public lands closures. Enforcement officers have still noted crowded parking lots places such as at the Ahtanam State Forest in Yakima County.Read More

Washington High Schoolers Won’t Get Litter Crew Jobs This Summer — But Adults Can Apply

By Courtney Flatt March 27, 2020

Washington high school students won't get the chance to get job skills in outdoor litter crews this summer. But the Dept. of Ecology will hire adults for the crews. CREDIT: Washington DOE

The state Dept. of Ecology will bring the student crews back next summer. But the agency will will hire more adult crews, ages 18 and up, to pick up litter. There won’t be as many openings as with youth workers because the adults will work longer than three weeks. Read More

Washington Appeals Court Rules Against Carlton Complex Fire Survivors In Suit Against State

By Courtney Flatt March 19, 2020

About 20 homes burned in this Pateros neighborhood, which included the mayor at the time, Libby Harrison, and her mom’s home behind her. The community church behind it survived, but the pastor’s home next door burned. CREDIT: Scott A. Leadingham

The Washington Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed a case against the state brought by more than 300 survivors of the 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire in north-central Washington.Read More

Washington Land Managers Warn Fire Danger Persists With High Winds This Week

By Courtney Flatt October 28, 2019

Don’t be fooled by the fall weather and cold temps hitting the Northwest this week. Washington officials are warning people to keep an eye on outdoor burning this time of year. It can still spark a fire, especially with strong winds whipping through the state Monday night through Tuesday morning. Read More

Okanogan County Firefighter Dies From Injuries Sustained During Labor Day Weekend Fire

By Courtney Flatt October 3, 2019

Christian Johnson, 55, suffered burns over 60 percent of his body. His lungs were also burned. The veteran firefighter was helping fight a small brush Sept. 1 fire near Okanogan. Courtesy Amy Freel/GoFundMe

Christian Johnson, 55, had been flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after suffering burns over more than half of his body fighting the Spring Coulee Fire on Sept. 1. Read More

Washington Ranchers Push To Create Their Own Fire Fighting Teams In ‘No Man’s Lands’

By Courtney Flatt September 9, 2019

Central Washington rancher Molly Linville would like ranchers to be able to fight fires on their own property in the state. She hopes the state will allow ranchers to form rangeland fire protection associations in areas where no agency is assigned to respond to wildland fires. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

There are no agencies assigned to fight fires on certain stretches of Washington rangeland. Ranchers want to form their own firefighting teams – something already happening in Oregon and Idaho.Read More

Firefighters Address Central And Eastern Washington Fires After Lightning Storms

By Anna King July 25, 2019

Smoke seen from a small fire burning in brush and wheat near Washtucna, Washington on Thursday, July 25, 2019. CREDIT: ANNA KING/N3

It’s been a relatively quiet summer so far for Northwest wildland firefighters. But after a couple days of lightning storms in eastern and central Washington, paired with dry and windy conditions, more fires are starting to flare up. Read More

Pateros And North Central Washington Continue Rebuilding 5 Years After Carlton Complex Fire

By Courtney Flatt July 18, 2019

Libby Harrison, who at the time was the mayor of Pateros, and her husband are rebuilding their home, which burned in the 2014 Carlton Complex. They’re doing most of the work themselves and hope to move back in, in a few months. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

Five years later, the Carlton Complex is still the single largest fire in Washington state’s history. By the end of summer, the Okanogan Long Term Recovery Group will have rebuilt 39 homes. The group’s contractors are putting the finishing touches on the final two homes now. They’ve held a ribbon cutting at nearly each spot.Read More

Big Spring Growth Could Make For Big Fire Season At Hanford And Across The West

By Anna King May 29, 2019

Hanford fire crews burn built-up brush along a roadway in preparation for a more-challenging-than-usual fire season.

At the Hanford Nuclear Site in southeastern Washington, and across the West, winter’s deep snow and a cool spring have produced lots of brush and grass. That’s a problem for the coming fire season. Read More

Northwest Fire Danger Increases Early In Season As Temperatures Rise Above Normal

By Doug Nadvornick May 11, 2019

Washington state lands officials are warning people working and playing outdoors to be mindful of higher wildfire danger. They've elevated the wildfire danger status in most of eastern and central Washington from low to moderate.Read More

Snow Melts, Anxiety Rises: Wildfire Season Is Here

By Ashley Ahearn May 1, 2019

Elise Walker poses for a portrait with her Great Pyrenees, Mina, on Monday, April 22, 2019, at her home on Old Highway 97 in Okanogan. Walker has three scanners in her home playing at all times to monitor fire calls. CREDIT:KUOW PHOTO/MEGAN FARMER

As wildfires become more frequent and intense, the disappearance of snow now ushers in a season of higher anxiety for those who have experienced the destruction of wildfire. And this spring feels particularly ominous, with water levels in ponds and lakes already exposing bathtub rings of pale earth that wouldn’t normally be visible until the end of the dry summer months.Read More

‘Good Fire’ Season: How Land Managers Select Areas For Prescribed Burns

By Courtney Flatt April 15, 2019

A member of the Wolf Creek Hotshots uses a drip torch to ignite the forest floor during a prescribed burn near Sisters, Oregon. CREDIT: JES BURNS

Land managers are using prescribed burns -- also called "good fire" -- and thinning to restore forests and reduce the extra wood, sticks and needles that fuel megafires. Different land managers look for certain things when they’re selecting where prescribed fires will work best.Read More

Recycling Washington Ghost Ships Could Turn Trash Into Treasure

By NWPB News August 29, 2018

R/V Hero, a 125-foot wooden-hulled Antarctic research vessel, sank in March 2017 on the Palix River near Bay Center, Washington. Built in 1968, she was fitted with sails and labs for wildlife research but now poses a threat to oysters, other wildlife and navigation. CREDIT: MATT M. MCKNIGH

There’s an old saying that a boat is simply a hole in the water into which you dump your cash. They can be cheap to buy, but are expensive to maintain, insure, berth, repair and operate. They age, they weather, they often sink. When they do, they create another kind of money hole. The solution? Recycling.Read More