A Washington Department of Natural Resources Huey rigged for wildland firefighting. By increasing its fleet to ten of these aircraft from eight, adding a pair of airplanes, adding drones and setting up exclusive use contracts with companies that operate firefighting aircraft, DNR has improved its ability to respond to fires over the last decade.
July 12, 2025
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Dent, Franz say bipartisan support led to progress in WA wildfire response
MOSES LAKE – Getting anything done in politics takes solid relationships and the ability to reach across political divides, regardless of how partisan the overall conversation is. Former Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, a Democrat, and local State Representative Tom Dent, a Republican, and their successes in advancing wildfire management are a prime example of that, they say. “Everything, from what I learned and how quickly we were able to make the changes and get results, is based on relationships,” Franz said in a late June interview. “It’s based on valuing other people’s opinions and their experience and their expertise.”