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No matter where you live in the PNW, it’s hard to escape the impacts of drought, wildfires, and smoke-filled skies. It's even harder to ignore these realities: fires just over the crest of the Cascades closed the North Cascades Highway for a month; the heat wave in late June is said to have claimed 129 lives in our region alone; the latest climate report from the UN suggests that over the next 30 years we will see more of the same, and worse.
It’s hard to find a bright spot. But here’s one and it’s a biggie: the infrastructure package that passed the Senate earlier this month promises to bring new funding to combat these devastating wildfires and to better manage our region’s forests, particularly those that serve as sources of drinking water. “This bipartisan bill reflects a strong understanding of how our lands and waters are as much a part of America’s infrastructure as roads and bridges, and how climate action is an imperative for our communities.” At long last, a modern definition of infrastructure is being recognized, accepted, and funded.
- The EA Team
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