"There will always be a reason to kick the can down the road," Franz added. After getting a bachelors degree from Smith College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University, Hilary returned home to raise her three boys on a small farm on Bainbridge Island. I dont think we are the problem.. She said a lack of commercial logging on DNR lands has allowed dense, thick forests to proliferate and uptake more groundwater and allow fires to spread more rapidly. "To me, it's a win for everybody. Franz is only the second woman to serve as commissioner of public lands since statehood in 1889. display: inline; A million acres burned in 2015. .inner_percentage.Democratic { Im a little skeptical when I look at any research. .widget-row.Green { }) [2], Franz was elected Washington commissioner of public lands on November 8, 2016. In their meeting, Franz said, Inslee recognized that it's a short session and an election year, so it's not a time when legislators like passing tax bills. She holds a bachelors degree from Smith College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University Law School. Crosscut summed it up best: She has the energy of a venti-fueled dynamo and a mind that works at a wildfire pace.. Hilary Franz @Hilary_FranzCPL. "I look forward to working with Commissioner Franz, our employees, and community partners to help improve our quality of life." Taylor is a graduate of Gonzaga University and has completed Seattle University's Executive Leadership Program. We changed the way we fight fires before money even came; we have an initial attack the moment smoke is in the air. She is a bold leader who is working to bridge the urban-rural divide and create economic opportunity throughout Washington. The City of Marysville was one of the first local municipalities to pass a law making the first offense of open-drug use punishable. Gov. But its basically six agencies. display: table; Secured a historic $500 million investment from the state Legislature to prevent and fight wildfires, fund forest restoration, and build community resilience. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020. As crime increases, our safety measures must too, GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund. The public lands commissioner heads the state Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for the management of 5.6 million acres of Washingtons forest, range, agricultural, aquatic and commercial lands. She doesnt care if it hurts her relationship with conservative rural leaders she needs to work with on issues her office actually oversees. Was it worth abusing the office when your stunt didnt even work? The tax would raise $63.5 million per year. Every single community and every single landscape is different. } Goldmark. overflow-x: scroll; Crosscut summed it up best: "She has the energy of a venti-fueled dynamo and a mind that works at a wildfire pace." Hilary S. Franz (born 1969/1970) is an American politician and conservation attorney serving as the 16th Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands since 2017. She wanted a statewide job to establish her resume for her future race and she doesnt hide her intent. It will get worse thanks to Washington state Democrats. But if he doesnt run for re-election, shell happily jump in. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. } Theres three million acres of uplands, lands above water. Kuehl Pederson. .widget-row.Libertarian { top: 0px; It's a win across the urban-rural divide. Hilary Swank is a married woman! So, who cares what she has to say about this? Published on August 21, 2018 04:45 PM. Only one contender, Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, of Lakewood, has raised financial campaign support more than $25,000. Our hearts go out to the 34 employees of Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, many who are second-generation fish farmers, and many who have worked as fish farmers in this state for well over three -and as many as five - decades. Referring to an incident in 2017 when a cage assembly collapsed at an Atlantic salmon farm that Cooke had recently bought from another company, Franz stated: Earlier this week, I ended all remaining leases with Cooke Aquaculture, the company responsible for spilling 300 thousand non-native salmon into our waters. [7] She received the early endorsement of Goldmark, as well as former King County Executive Ron Sims and the Bullitt Center. To slow them down, Kuehl Pederson said she would ramp up commercial timber harvest to thin out the trees, reduce the level of fuel load in the forest. .widget-img { } Her current term ends on January 13, 2025. background-color: white; Franz filed to run as a Democratic candidate in the 2016 election for Washington commissioner of public lands. Kuehl Pederson said forests were managed better when she was younger and when trees were considered crops to be regularly harvested. font-weight: bold; She was also a central part of the successful effort to halt federal plans for offshore drilling near the Olympic Peninsula. A loyal Democrat, Franz would never challenge Governor Jay Inslee and face his notoriously vindictive attitude toward those who challenge him. I came in saying my goal is to bridge the divide Eastern Washington, Western Washington; urban, rural, Franz said, referring to the beginning of her term in 2017. color: #6db24f; margin-top: 1px; Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. font-style: italic; Responsible for the management of 5.6 million acres of Washington state forest, range, agricultural, aquatic and commercial lands, the leader of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) must contend with wildfire, climate change and also produce funds for counties and schools that rely on DNRs land management for revenue. Franz has a sizeable fundraising lead after raking in more than $840,000 from supporters. The Jamestown SKlallam Tribe, which had planned to farm fish in Port Angeles in collaboration with Cooke, said Franzs move was an irresponsible denial of what science has proven: marine net pen aquaculture is safe for the environment and the most sustainable, climate friendly way to feed the world. As a land-use and environmental lawyer, she was accustomed to 40:60 gender ratios in the. (Shutterstock) While Hilary is a major star, Philip is a social venture entrepreneur! .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} text-align: center; Two weeks later, she accompanied him on a trip to Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in Okanogan County to see forests that had been properly managed to resist wildfire. max-width: 600px; Its about her political future. Today, I am officially ending all net-pen fish farming on public waters, marking an enormous victory in our efforts to save our salmon and restore their natural habitat. I am interested in running for a higher position. })(); See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. } I just dont know. max-height: 580px; WENATCHEE Reflecting on her fifth wildfire season as Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz says the bottom line is this: "I think the fire season itself was a win, even though we had 650,000 acres burn. Washingtons authorities revoked permission for the farm to operate and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), headed by elected public lands commissioner Hilary Franz, also revoked the lease for another farm at Port Angeles after an inspection found it was outside its mooring boundaries. Seattle Met In the next several days, we will deliver a letter to Commissioner Franz, asking some tough questions about the science that DNR used to make its decision, said the NWAA. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? Senator Patty Murray, and a coalition of environmental groups and unions,[2] Franz won 53 percent of the vote in the general election but failed to win any counties in Eastern Washington. A pro-fish farming group in the Pacific Northwest of the United States has renewed its criticism of Washington state elected public lands commissioner Hilary Franz after her decision to ban open net pen aquaculture in state-controlled waters. } color: black; Incumbent Hilary Franz defeated Sue Kuehl Pederson in the general election for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands on November 3, 2020. a.communitylink { color:black; font-weight:bold; } .votebox-results-cell--check { When heavy flooding hit Okanogan County in 2018, Franz went out of her way to send pumping equipment and firefighters. I definitely see a path forward. [19], Franz has three sons and lived on a farm in Bainbridge Island prior to being elected as commissioner. GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund. Franz gets it, but she argues her bill would free up $50 million in the capital budget for any of the crises (because appropriators currently tap into the capital budget to fight wildfires). .key-messages li:last-child { margin-bottom: 0px;} top: 2px; We are one step closer to capitalizing on the ability of Washington's public lands to capture and store carbon to help address climate change and increase revenues for schools and communities. padding:7px 8px 8px; .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { Rich Smith is The Stranger's associate editor. Kuehl Pederson said she admired Franz for her ability to bring people together, but said DNR as an agency is too process-oriented and restrictive with regulations.
} She also made it a point to travel around the central and eastern parts of the state, meeting face-to-face with county commissioners and lawmakers who had developed an intense animosity toward the agency under former commissioner Peter Goldmark. How to vote | "I thought, 'Oh wow, we never got this kind of attention from Little Peter,'" Kretz said, using his nickname for Goldmark. "The status quo isn't . margin-bottom: .75em; If the leads hold as more ballots are counted in the coming days, both will advance to Novembers general election. [6][7] She served on several regional conservation and land management boards, including committees of the Puget Sound Regional Council. border: 1px solid #a2a9b1 !important; Hilary is on the front lines protecting our lands and waters and standing up for our communities. Kuehl Pederson, who led the next closest challenger by nearly 13 percentage points, said in an interview she was feeling great and optimistic she would emerge from the primary. .race_header.green { Most of our fires are on federal lands, but we are then immediately part of the team. margin-top: 0px; } $('.showResponses').hide(); Aside from the tragic loss of life and the enormous health risks, fighting fires in unnaturally thick forests with an underfunded force is expensive. If youre retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you! .widget-value { As Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz would be in charge of the Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for restoring shorelines, estuaries, bedlands and river flood plains throughout Washington. Three towns in WashingtonRoslyn, Cliffdell, and Twin Lakesare at greater risk of being wiped out by fire than Paradise, California, which was razed by the Camp Fire in 2018. } Fox national news picked up that tweet and asked for an interview with me. November 2022 - 15:03. She served as a City Council member for the City of Bainbridge Island from 2008 to 2011 and is the executive director of Futurewise, an advocacy group that describes itself as a "smart growth organization."[1]. .votebox-results-metadata-p { background: #4c4c4c; .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} Hilary Franz is proud to serve as Washington States Commissioner of Public Lands. Franz wants to broaden DNRs portfolio, and aims to lease more land for solar, wind, biomass and geothermal projects or for industrial, agricultural and commercial purposes. } $('.hideResponses').hide(); Franz is a third-generation farmer and small forest landowner, and has three boys who she raised on a farm. padding-bottom: 5px; | @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { Hilary Franz defeated Steve McLaughlin in the Washington commissioner of public lands election. .infobox p { U.S. President | .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { I ran for city council on Bainbridge Island when my baby was two years old. Last year was the worst drought in Washington states history. I thought Id dip my toe in, because local government level is where you really have the most impact. But shes running for governor, so shes using her office to campaign. Theres no slow day. } Washington Natural Resources Commissioner election, 2016, Ballot access for major and minor party candidates, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Hilary_Franz&oldid=8918882, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Public Lands Commissioner candidate, 2020, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands candidate, 2020, Current Democratic natural resources commissioner, Current Washington natural resources commissioner, Natural Resources Commissioner candidate, 2016, 2016 State executive general election (winner), Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. U.S. Congress | A native of the Pacific Northwest, she has resided in Washington for 20 years. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? With 52% of the early vote, Franz led all of the Republicans in the race, combined, by about 12 percentage points. OMAK, Wash. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is calling for both short and long-term support of communities across Washington that have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires.. DNR didn't have a budget big enough to fight Washington's increasingly damaging fires while also thinning out the state's overgrown forests. Washington state government officials are prohibited by law from using their office or state resources for political campaigning. She is relentless in her desire to create bold, transformational change. Her efforts will assure healthier forestlands.. Franz has also prioritized supporting local communities, both urban and rural. After the two "went at it for an hour," Franz asked him to give her a chance, and he said he would. overflow-y: auto; That it truly provides. .votebox-covid-disclaimer { }, 100); .results_text { margin-bottom:0px; .race_header.libertarian { How utterly laughable. Hilary Franz Has Her Eye on Public Landsand Beyond Washington's commissioner of public lands reimagined wildfire fighting and isn't ruling out a run for higher office. background-color: #f9f9f9; Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. If the governor signs the bill, it will be a huge victory for the trees, for a lot of stressed out firefighters, and for all of our lungs. .inner_percentage.Republican { top: -1px; Yesterday, the NWAA criticised the timing and rationale of Franzs no more fish farms announcement, which will lead to job losses. Follow @JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andFacebook. width: 43%; The results have been certified. } [14], The 2018 wildfire season was more severe than the previous year and prompted the state government to declare a state of emergency after the Department of Natural Resources had been overwhelmed in its response to 891 fires by late July. margin-bottom: 0px; display: block; } .inner_percentage.CrossFiled { color: white; Introduced a sweeping proposal to Keep Washington Evergreen by protecting 1 million acres of forest from deforestation and replanting 1 million acres of forest by 2040. position: relative; width: 250px; background-color: #dac113; The focus on building relationships seems to have paid off. }, What's on my ballot? letter-spacing: 0.03em; This plan will make more than 1 million acres of forest healthier and more resistant to wildfires at a scale and pace that is unprecedented. .race_header, .results_text, .results_table_container, .votebox_legend { (Goldmark didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.). A month after her election, Franz met with Representative Kretz, the guy who said he wanted to kill her. Will you pitch in $50 to help us celebrate todays big announcement and expand our efforts to protect Puget Sound and native salmon?. text-align: center; } She has led efforts to protect our communities and environment from the impacts of a changing climate, increased development, and wildfire. } You meet the people there and spend time on the landscape and its one of the best parts of this job, she says. *If youve saved your information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately. 509 Olive Way, Suite 305, Seattle, WA 98101, Hilary Franz Has Her Eye on Public Landsand Beyond, How the Department of Natural Resources Won Social Media, What Happens When Smoke Gets in Your Wine. Armed with the keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting, Franz said what virtually every other Democrat has said. $('#candidate-connection-email-65994').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-email'); }); Youre not allowed to do that. As a land-use and environmental lawyer, she was accustomed to 40:60 gender ratios in the workplace, but the world of firefighters and landowners has been decidedly more lopsided. [2][3] Franz graduated from Smith College with a bachelor's degree in English language and government in 1992 and the Northeastern University School of Law with a juris doctor. Hilary Franz ( Democratic Party) is the Washington Commissioner of Public Lands. background-color: #003388; [8] With the further endorsements of two former governors, U.S. Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, Washington State House of Representatives, "Crowded lands commissioner field wants to take on wildfire preparedness", "Lands-commissioner hopefuls vary widely in backgrounds, views", "WA Lands Commissioner ice skated with Tonya Harding as a child", "Franz sworn in as Washington Commissioner of Public Lands", "Former Bainbridge councilwoman enters state lands commissioner race", "Conservation attorney launches campaign for state lands commissioner", "McLaughlin, Franz lead for lands commissioner; Miloscia, McCarthy ahead for auditor", "New Washington lands commissioner: Address climate change, rural growth", "Franz sworn in as Washington's 14th Lands Commissioner", Washington State Department of Natural Resources, "Wildfires pour smoke, ash into area; relief in sight", "20-year plan aims to reduce Eastern Washington wildfires, improve forest health", "Violations prompt Washington state to cancel Atlantic salmon farm lease at Port Angeles", "Washington will fight offshore drilling, Inslee says", "Wildfires prompted emergency call for Guard help", "Record wildfire-fighting budget requested by Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz", "Washington state wants to add firefighters and training academy to beef up wildfire response", "Amid climate crisis, a proposal to save Washington state forests for carbon storage, not logging", "November 3, 2020 General Election Results-Commissioner of Public Lands", "Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz", "New lands commissioner has a lot on her plate", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hilary_Franz&oldid=1148240974, This page was last edited on 4 April 2023, at 23:14. For the first time in Washington state history, the agency has leased state trust lands for solar power projects. She is a member of the Democratic Party who was previously a member of the Bainbridge Island city council and was elected as commissioner in 2016. I dont know anybody who has worked in fisheries, forests and the power industry. @media (max-width:600px) { ul.key-messages {list-style-type: none; margin-left:10px; } } Am I intimidating to you?". I listened to Kate Bush in college! } .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} Hilary Franz (Democratic Party) is the Washington Commissioner of Public Lands. Check back frequently for more news and analysis. A million acres burned in 2015, and three firefighters died battling a firestorm near Twisp. } The National Fisheries Institute, National Aquaculture Association, Global Seafood Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices, California Aquaculture Association, and the US Trout Farmers Association have joined the NWAA in calling for a third-party review of Franzs order. .inner_percentage { vertical-align: middle; State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz sent a letter Monday to U.S. .race_header { Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Though the fires in 2019 weren't as bad as the fires in 2018, which caused Seattle to register the worst air quality in the world some days, Franz says the state is still a tinderbox.