Council delivers update on findings as its work near completion
SALEM — Governor Kate Brown today addressed Oregon’s Council on Wildfire Response, where they provided updates on their research and recommendations for the future of Oregon’s wildfire response structure and systems. The Council provided an overview on their development of a cohesive wildfire management strategy including community adaptation, mitigation, and suppression.
“Year-round wildfire threat is increasing around the globe as our planet continues to warm. But no region is exactly alike, so to keep Oregonians safe and our landscape healthy, we can’t run plays from last century’s playbook,” said Governor Brown. “That’s why I convened the Wildfire Response Council to come together to write a plan tailored to Oregon and the current challenges we face. But even without seeing data, history, and analysis, I know we need different tools and we clearly need additional resources. The time is now and the need is great; we can’t afford to take our beautiful state for granted.”
The Council was created by Governor Brown via executive order in January this year with the charge of evaluating national and global best practices in fire prevention, management, and suppression to make recommendations for Oregon’s future wildfire management. The Council includes experts whose work has environmental, health, and economic intersections with wildfire. The full report from the Council will be finalized in November with both short- and long-term objectives.
View Governor Brown’s full remarks to the Council here, and more information about the work of the Council here.