Milling trees can pay to reduce wildfire risks

Thinning public woodlands to remove millions of dead trees is a way to generate much-needed cash to reduce wildfire risks, improve forest health, and protect rural homeowners and farms. It is money the U.S. Forest Service and Washington’s Dept. of Natural Resources don’t have because the bulk of their funds are tied up fighting fires.

Our state’s wildfire severity has worsened in recent years. The 2020 fire season was particularly destructive. Over 1,250 square miles burned in more than 1,600 fires, killing an infant, and destroying 298 homes. One blaze nearly wiped out Malden, a small town 40...