The measure, House Bill 3940, would tax oral nicotine products and tap the interest on Oregon’s rainy day savings account and put the money toward wildfire mitigation.

Desperate for money to get through the next two wildfire seasons and with few proposals on the table that could meet costs and get passed by the Oregon Legislature, Gov. Tina Kotek is proposing to skim some money off of the state’s “rainy day fund.”

Gov. Tina Kotek has signaled her support for potentially using some of the kicker or other one-time funding to invest in wildfire work across the state.

Belinda Brown, Director of Tribal Partnerships and Chair of the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership joins the Exchange.

Many Central Oregon cities started fire restrictions this week as the forecast for much of the state predicts dry, warm weather and little precipitation ahead.

But there is a glimmer of hope: Federal firefighting managers said their workforce is about where it needs to be for the fire season ahead, despite the Trump administration’s efforts.

Republicans say Democrats are using the bill as a bargaining chip to get Republicans to vote on redirecting $1 billion of kicker tax to fund wildfire mitigation work.

In fire-prone Southern Oregon, residents of the Greensprings joined forces to carry out a 12-acre prescribed burn—lighting controlled fire to reduce wildfire risk and restore forest health. The effort reflects a growing movement to use“good fire” to reshape landscapes and build community resilience.

Even if Democrats agree on such a move, a vote to suspend the kicker would require two Republican votes in the 30-member Senate and four in the 60-member House.

Electric utilities are preparing for another wildfire season. The area’s largest power company is upgrading its system to reduce the number of power outages.

Trump administration funding cuts and a loss of federal workers who help support wildland firefighting continues to make planning for the upcoming wildfire season a challenge, according to forest and fire officials in Washington state and Oregon.

State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant outlines how Cal Fire is preparing for the peak of California’s increasingly long and unpredictable wildfire season, as millions of residents find themselves living in higher-hazard areas.