Federal cuts could hamper wildfire efforts, health district warns

By: Conor Wilson

Pierce County’s top public health official says slashing of federal funds will hamper the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s ability to mitigate threats of wildfires and their smoke.

The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the health department a three-year, $1 million grant in 2024 to build capacity and resilience against wildfires. EPA terminated that grant this year, the health district announced last month.

Public Health Director Chantell Harmon Reed said the agency will continue to work with the Pierce Conservation District and others to prepare for the threats of wildfires. But she cautioned that “wildfires and wildfire smoke are increasingly important public health threats,” and the “loss in funding puts a big dent in our work to confront them.”

Read more at: https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/health-wellness/federal-cuts-could-hamper-wildfire-efforts-health-district-warns/