Oregon lawmakers are poised to start tackling a $4 billion effort to dramatically reduce wildfire threat in this state.
Armed with a report detailing steps needed to protect communities from disasters that have befallen California, local legislators and Gov. Kate Brown have signaled they’re about to put their money where their mouth is.
Golden, chairman of the newly created Senate Committee on Wildfire Prevention and Recovery, anticipates submitting two to three bills during the short legislative session to specifically deal with wildfires.
Gov. Kate Brown’s office indicated she will be backing the commitment of up to $200 million through a combination of state, private and federal dollars. Southern Oregon has been identified as having the most communities in the state at risk from the kind of wildfires that swept through the Northern California cities of Paradise, Santa Rosa and Redding.