House Bill 2653 would allow Washington counties to manage fuel breaks on federally owned land near roadways and retain revenue from timber sales tied to wildfire prevention work. Under the bill, counties could manage forestlands up to one mile on either side of a roadway, including interstate highways, state highways, and other roads selected by the county. Under the bill, counties would retain proceeds from timber sales resulting from fuel reduction and forest health work performed under the agreement. “For rural counties, timber revenue has declined sharply over the years, and federal forest payments are less reliable than they once were,” Waters said. “House Bill 2653 would move us in that direction.”The bill awaits a public hearing in the House Local Government Committee.