.widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { She doesnt care if it hurts her relationship with conservative rural leaders she needs to work with on issues her office actually oversees. width: 100%; 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. .widget-row.value-only.black { Franz ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands. [8] With the further endorsements of two former governors, U.S. pic.twitter.com/5Wu7NqRFJl, Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) March 31, 2023. width: 50%; $('.showResponses').hide(); } border-bottom: 1px solid grey; Gov. She boasts a sizable financial advantage. Cities | } padding-left: 10px; Her attempt to earn media coverage wasnt even successful. font-weight: bold; (Shutterstock) While Hilary is a major star, Philip is a social venture entrepreneur! Crosscut summed it up best: "She has the energy of a venti-fueled dynamo and a mind that works at a wildfire pace." Obviously, Franz cant cite the laws allegedly broken. Lately she's been lobbying intensely for a bill that implements a 20-year forest health plan and a 10-year wildland fire protection plan recently released by her Department of Natural Resources (DNR). I have a ways to go. div.oneoff-scrollbox.short { height:250px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } display: block; })(); See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. 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. Then Franz, ever the happy warrior, burst into laughter for the 400th time that day. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020. I just dont know. } display: inline-block; The head of the WA Department of Natural Resources has a take on Alvin Bragg indicting Donald Trump. Every single community and every single landscape is different. color: #fff; We are heartbroken for their families and their communities as well. Follow @JasonRantz onTwitter,Instagram, andFacebook. You can thoughtfully re-create old growth, Kuehl Pederson said, pointing to a project by The Nature Conservancy that is testing whether active management of trees in the Ellsworth Creek area will create old-growth habitat more quickly. Will you pitch in $50 to help us celebrate todays big announcement and expand our efforts to protect Puget Sound and native salmon?. Incumbent Hilary Franz, who emerged from a crowded field in 2016, faces a handful of relative political newcomers this election. color: black; .race_header, .results_text, .results_table_container, .votebox_legend { How much is the real data and the real science and how much is the politics? Kuehl Pederson. font-size: 12px; Franz is only the second woman to serve as commissioner of public lands since statehood in 1889. She has also served on the board of the Washington Environmental Council, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, Conservation Northwest, and Friends of the Farms. Last year was the worst drought in Washington states history. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { 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. In a state and nation very divided, the numbers show weve made huge progress.. Seattle Met font-weight: bold; That it truly provides. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? font-size: 0.9em; Its no Bellingham, WA lawmakers deadlocked as drugs ravage Snohomish County, rest of state, Woman shot in West Seattle, hours after 2 killed on Capitol Hill, Oregon tells a cautionary tale about drugs, but were not listening, persuading the state Legislature to provide tens of millions, Fearing a ballot topped by Trump and Eyman, some GOP leaders back newcomer in crowded Washington gubernatorial primary, Secretary of State Kim Wyman seeks reelection as Democrats look to win a rare GOP stronghold, Incumbent Hilary Franz enjoys big money advantage over relative newcomers in Washington lands commissioner race, Hard decisions in Olympia amid COVID-19 crisis for winners of this years Legislature races, timber that can be sustainably harvested on state lands will drop over the next five decades, pointing to a project by The Nature Conservancy. .widget-row { The tendency is to blame those on climate change, but Im starting to think the nonmanagement of our forest is not only the reason for bigger and worse fires, but maybe even the reason for our own climate change in Washington, Kuehl Pederson said. In an interview, Franz said the initial election returns which show a base of support in rural counties suggest to her that shes made progress in earning the trust of communities she said had too long been left behind by state government and economically. clear: both; padding-top: 8px; .inner_percentage.Republican { .results_row td { 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. margin: auto; padding-left: 10px; float: left; Her efforts will assure healthier forestlands.. background-color: #f9d334; Hilary Franz is proud to serve as Washington States Commissioner of Public Lands. $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); Under Commissioner Franzs leadership, DNR has built a robust clean-energy program to help combat the climate crisis and create clean energy jobs. background-color: #f9f9f9; 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. .non_result_row th { overflow-x: auto; A native American tribe hoping to grow steelhead trout and sablefish in Puget Sound has also condemned the commissioners decision. width: 100% !important; Hilary Swank is a married woman! } width: 100%; It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety. Source. Hilary Franz is proud to serve as Washington State's Commissioner of Public Lands. Cooke, which had previously applied for permission to replace the ageing pen structure, recaptured more than half the escapees. background-color: #db0000; font-weight: 300; I hope to reach a lot of voters between now and November.. padding-bottom: 3px; } The desire to create a dedicated revenue stream for firefighting and forest health is what landed Franz in Governor Inslee's office. She says were a nation of laws and that we must ensure our laws are applied to everyone equally, no matter what positions they have held or how wealthy they claim to be., Though the indictment is a clear case of political abuse targeting the Republican front-runner for president to weaken his campaign, Franz said the George Soros-backed Manhattan D.A. Kuehl Pederson was the only other candidate to raise campaign contributions, according to Washingtons Public Disclosure Commission. 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. } (Washington State Department of Natural Resources), (Washington State Department of Natural Resources). } 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]. She also deployed the agency's eight helicoptersall of which, Franz is quick to say, fought in the Vietnam Warwhenever fires popped up instead of when they started growing out of control. .hideResponses { display: none;} max-height: 580px; It likely explains why her spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. .widget-key { Franz is only the second woman to serve as commissioner of public lands since statehood in 1889. text-align: center; font-size: 12px; Youre not allowed to do that. background-color: #dac113; 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. Crosscut summed it up best: She has the energy of a venti-fueled dynamo and a mind that works at a wildfire pace.. .votebox-scroll-container { width: 50px; In a letter to the Department of Natural Resources, the Lewis County commissioners are claiming Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA . .votebox-covid-disclaimer { border: 1px solid #999; Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. width: 100% I listened to Kate Bush in college! width: 150px; The commissioner leads state efforts in preparing for and suppressing wildfire, plays a key role in adapting state lands to climate change and leads DNR in producing funds for counties and schools through management of state lands. She assumed office on January 11, 2017. } text-align: center; padding-left: 16px; When the federal government tried to open our waters to offshore drilling, Hilary refused to allow drilling equipment to cross our coastline. This work is a crucial step in making sure that our public waterways are clean and clear for future generations. In a full-page advertisement taken in Sundays edition of The Seattle Times, anti-fish farming group Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) declared We did it! and thanked Franz for her actions. "But this is a time for leadership.". .race_header { The plans are the first of their kind from the agency, and together they provide a long-awaited blueprint for how to tackle increasingly damaging wildfires ravaging the state. .non_result_row { z-index:1; [10] During the first year of her term, the Department of Natural Resources faced a minor wildfire season caused by prolonged heat similar to those of previous years. overflow-x: scroll; Kuehl Pederson said she opposed expanding wind projects on DNR land until there were better options for electricity storage. } Franz used tax dollars, government property, and at least one state employee to help her future gubernatorial campaign. .votebox { She holds a bachelors degree from Smith College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University Law School. None of those candidates has reported any financial contributions. "The status quo isn't . But if he doesnt run for re-election, shell happily jump in. } Hilary Franz. display: block; When she walked out of a half-hour meeting with Governor Jay Inslee earlier this month, Washington commissioner of public lands Hilary Franz turned to her staff and whispered: "Am I threatening? Franz was born in the Pacific Northwest and raised in the area, graduating from St. Mary's Academy in Portland, Oregon, in 1988. font-size: 16px; background-color: white; $('.hideResponses').hide(); } .votebox_legend { a[aria-expanded=false] .fa-chevron-down { display: none; } 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. } .widget-row.Democratic { Changing that reputation wasn't going to be easy. font-size: 2em; color: #888; [18], Franz was re-elected Commissioner of Public Lands in 2020, defeating Sue Kuehl Pederson in the general election. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Of course, in this case, shes violating the spirit of the law. On the same day, Franz used her decision to pitch for donations to fund her political work. For more information on your ballot, in any county, go to:myvote.wa.gov. There would be more logging going on.. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020. Im just getting started if you look at my campaign fund amount, Kuehl Pederson said, adding that she expected the Republican party would bolster her campaign coffers. Its only by getting out on the land to really understand the problem, but also see the opportunity. .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} She boasts a sizable financial advantage. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Hilary Franz (Democratic Party) is the Washington Commissioner of Public Lands. display: inline-block; [17], Under Franz, logging on DNR lands was allowed to increase in order to raise revenue for local government needs, which drew criticism from conservationists. color: black; } color: #888; Kuehl Pederson ran for state Senate in 2016, but lost in District 19 to Democrat Dean Takko. Subscribe to the podcast. letter-spacing: .04em; She resides in Olympia with her husband. margin-bottom: 0; Franz has also prioritized supporting local communities, both urban and rural. .survey-result {padding:10px;} overflow-y: hidden; background-color: red; When the two first met, he recalls telling a colleague, "I'll let her talk, then I'll kill her.". The unfortunate timing of this announcement, at the beginning of the holiday season - with an impossible December 14 deadline to remove equipment and slaughter 332,000 juvenile fish, representing 2,656,000 meals - shows both a lack of humanity and an alarming lapse of leadership. She knows that our working lands and the communities that depend on them for family-wage jobs are integral to our success as a state, and she is investing in their success. } 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. Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). font-weight: 300; ul.key-messages {list-style-type: none; margin-left:10px; } .infobox { Incumbent Hilary Franz, who emerged from a crowded field in 2016, faces a handful of relative political newcomers this election. Cookes problems in Washington state began in 2017, less than a year after it moved into the area by buying the assets of another fish farmer. .key-messages li:last-child { margin-bottom: 0px;} Franz, a Democrat, had . She has led efforts to protect our communities and environment from the impacts of a changing climate, increased development, and wildfire. Its about her political future. font-weight: bold; font-weight: bold; height: 100%; font-style: italic; I realized Im more of an executive, building big teams and sort of setting big goals. As a private practice attorney, Franz specialized in land use and environmental law. Rantz: Dem bill cuts English reading and writing requirement for public safety jobs. After several failed attempts, she has . To celebrate the addition of so many women to the legislature in 2018, she sent them all desk placards that read "Do Epic Shit.". The results have been certified. .results_table_container { Franz wants to broaden the agencys portfolio, leasing more land for solar, wind, biomass and geothermal projects or for industrial, agricultural and commercial purposes. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, Implementing wildfire prevention practices funded by the state legislature, including a focus on treating and preventing diseases that create fire risks, Changing land management practices to protect the natural habitats of wildlife, Leasing department-owned grazing lands to local food production companies, Implementing outreach programs to public schools in order to improve environmental education. The tax would raise $63.5 million per year. With 52% of the early vote, Franz led all of the Republicans in the race, combined, by about 12 percentage points. This bipartisan legislation supported by a wide-ranging coalition of firefighters, fire chiefs, tribes, environmentalists, and public health advocates passed unanimously. But shes running for governor, so shes using her office to campaign. .non_result_row div { } Professional athletes are teaming up to prevent infant mortality and empower women at risk in communities facing severe poverty. margin-right: 10px; font-size: 12px; Hilary Franz defeated Steve McLaughlin in the Washington commissioner of public lands election. In August 2017, a pen assembly at Cookes Cypress Island farm collapsed (pictured), releasing around 305,000 Atlantic salmon. [7] She received the early endorsement of Goldmark, as well as former King County Executive Ron Sims and the Bullitt Center. .results_table { } This devastating decision will have a ripple effect that will extend far beyond the company, said the NWAA. Each year, Franz has to beg the legislature for an average of $153 million, requiring the state to tap emergency funds and part of the general fund. As a child she sat between her single father, an analyst for the city of Portland with a passion for government work, and her grandfather, a rancher in rural Pierce County who espoused self-reliance. 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. Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options! p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} .widget-row.Republican { } Aside from the federal government, no one has authority over more of Washingtons landscape than its public lands commissioner. Am I intimidating to you?". Hilary Franz in the field with firefighters from the Central Washington Interagency Fire Training Academy. .widget-img { Part of the money would fund new equipment and firefighters, while the other part would hire more people to remove dead trees and brush from 2.7 million acres of forests in Central and Eastern Washington. You can read his poems at, Courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources, Two Women Accuse Documentary Filmmaker Andrew Callaghan of Rape, Sexual Assault, Council Delivers on Promise Not to Please Everyone in Budget, What a Year of Lockdown Tells Us About the Nature of Human Time. I dont think we are the problem.. display: block; } When asked if she agreed with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes consensus assessment that greenhouse gases, driven by fossil fuel combustion, are warming the world, Kuehl Pederson said she felt that climate science was clouded by politics. Goldmark. display: inline; Inslee announces he won't seek 4th term, Rantz: City of Tacoma art project will purposefully include racist quote, Gross: Cities find solutions after legislative failure on drug use law, Rantz: King Co. Council played Seattle media, gave anti-cop official a pass, Suits: Legal challenges will prevail against WA assault weapons ban, Rantz: Mayor thinks pickleball can solve Seattle crime, fentanyl crisis, Rantz: Democrats legalizing drugs will destroy Seattle, kill scores more, Brock Huard and Friends Rally Around The Fight for First Campaign, Prepare for the next disaster at the Emergency Preparedness Conference. "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. 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. background-color: grey; display: inline-block; .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { Hilary is a defender of our public lands. } max-width: 75px; Both Revised Code of Washington 42.52.180 and 2.17A.555 make this clear. The Democrat has raised more than $820,000 this cycle, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission website. But even attempting to justify this as anything more than politicking would be mocked. We were getting $0 in the budget for wildfires. }) .percentage_number { And one woman lawmaker even asked her, baffled, who was taking care of her sons at home on Bainbridge Island while she worked. .widget-value { In August 2018, they tied the knot during a romantic ceremony in the Redwoods in . .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { [16] Franz proposed the hiring of 30 full-time wildland firefighters, the purchase of two helicopters, and the creation of a fire-training academy specifically for wildfires. Public policy. Get to Know Hilary. If the leads hold as more ballots are counted in the coming days, both will advance to Novembers general election. background-color: #ccc; Two statewide elected officials, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, are openly eyeing the governor's office should Inslee step aside. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { width: 100%; "There will always be a reason to kick the can down the road," Franz added. Was it worth abusing the office when your stunt didnt even work? Incumbents are bolded and underlined. font-weight: bold; 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 earned her bachelor's degree from Smith College and juris doctor from Northeastern University Law School. height: 50px; I thought Id dip my toe in, because local government level is where you really have the most impact. With Trump in the news, she sent out the uninspired press release, hoping to be picked up by media so that when potential voters Google her when she runs, theyll come across her disdain for Trump. font-weight: bold; "We're supposed to be the Evergreen State. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; .succession-table th, .succession-table tr { "The community came out, and they were grateful," Kretz said. She is relentless in her desire to create bold, transformational change. .widget-row.Green { Rantz: Dems defend WA Supreme Courts racist capital gains tax ruling. 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. Being prepared before the next emergency arrives is key to preserving businesses and organizations of many kinds. DNR didn't have a budget big enough to fight Washington's increasingly damaging fires while also thinning out the state's overgrown forests. School districts | 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. color: white; } Hilary brings a passion for the lands and waters of Washington and a compassion for all of our communities. Im not aware of all of the things theyre talking about. Check back frequently for more news and analysis. } .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} I spent every day after school at city hall. background-color: #f9f9f9; Incumbent Hilary Franz defeated Sue Kuehl Pederson in the general election for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands on November 3, 2020. } Ballotpedia features 408,486 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. She said bad wildfire seasons drew her into the race, and would like to reduce fuel load in the forest. Developing that real significant plan and strategy, and then getting the resources and implementing them. After knocking out King County Council member Dave Upthegrove in the 2016 Democratic primary, and then going on to win the general election against navy vet Steve McLaughlin, Franz remembers one fire commissioner out east asking her, "How could a little lady like you do a big job like this? But Franz understood she'd have to overcome these prejudices pretty quickly, given the miserable state of Washington's forests and the growing threat to the lives of firefighters who could die on her watch. The NWAA said the move, which gave Cooke just a month to clear its sites, was not a decision based on science. Hilary Franz (@Hilary_FranzCPL) April 4, 2019 "What I've observed is a tremendous amount of more energy from the agency and a lot more proactive posture," state Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East . Last week the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) called for a third-party . Since taking office Hilarys earned high marks from both her liberal Seattle-area political base and from conservative officials and lawmakers in Eastern Washington, who have praised her willingness to listen to local concerns and the energy shes brought to fire prevention and rural economic development., She doesnt look like someone youd call if a fire was bearing down on your town.Then you hear her speak, daring any fire to come between her and the 6 million or so acres of public land she is responsible for safeguarding., Hilary seems to have the energy of a venti-fueled dynamo and a mind that works at a wildfire pace., In Franz, voters will find a tireless advocate for a forward-thinking approach to preventing and suppressing wildfires that have become an increasing concern to residents throughout the state., Hilary Franz, as public lands chief, has led notable gains in forest health and fire prevention. } height: 22px; font-size: 1.2em; top: -5px;