Governor Tina Kotek is calling for a special session of the Oregon Legislature, to start on Dec 12. Kotek is asking lawmakers to appropriate funds to pay for the historic 2024 wildfire season.
A record 1.9 million acres burned during this recent wildfire season, far exceeding the state’s 10-year average of 640,000 acres per season. Costs have spiraled upwards of $350 million.
Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey joins the Exchange to discuss.
While over half of the costs may eventually be covered by disaster relief funds from the federal government, the state needs to pay its bills as expeditiously as possible, the governor believes.
Kotek is asking the Legislature to release a combined total of $218 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to address all costs for the season assumed to date. This includes meeting the state’s financial obligations to small, medium, and large contractors who worked for more than five months to protect and support Oregonians impacted by wildfires.
