Gov. Kate Brown announced Thursday the 18 confirmed members of the Oregon Wildfire Council, which she created via executive order in January, including Bend Mayor Sally Russell and Bend Fire Captain Tricia Connolly.
The council is charged with evaluating national and global best practices in fire prevention, management and suppression to make recommendations for Oregon's future wildfire management. Their first meeting is this Monday, March 18.
"Fire threatens communities, smoke compromises our health, and our local economy suffers," Brown said. "We need to make sure we are doing everything we can, and that we are building support for the sustainable funding needed to change this pattern. I'm so pleased to bring many experts together to tackle this important issue that deeply affects Oregonians and our lands."