The House Local Government Committee convened on January 22, 2025, to discuss critical issues surrounding the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code and its implications for local communities in Washington. The meeting featured a range of testimonies from stakeholders, including city officials, environmental advocates, and industry representatives, all expressing their views on the proposed legislation.

The session began with a discussion on the potential impacts of enforcing a WUI building code. One committee member expressed skepticism about whether such enforcement would lead to increased insurance non-renewals or cancellations, suggesting that it might actually improve insurance access for some communities. This sentiment was echoed by Karl Schroeder from the Association of Washington Cities, who highlighted past issues with the WUI code's implementation, particularly concerning the absurd risk assessments generated by initial mapping efforts. He emphasized the need for a more transparent process and better communication with local planners to restore confidence in the building code council.

Michael Fear, representing the Walk A Million Trees Project, criticized the proposed defensible space buffer rules, arguing that they were based on flawed models that did not align with current wildfire resilience science. He urged the committee to support last year's SB 6120, which focused on home hardening rather than extensive clearing requirements.

Ron Perkowitz from the Building Industry Association of Washington echoed these concerns, advocating for a pause on the current bill until a thorough review of the mapping process could be conducted. He pointed out that local jurisdictions should have the flexibility to tailor their WUI codes to their specific needs, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.

The committee also heard from Lynn Fitzhugh, who reiterated the importance of home hardening as a more effective strategy for wildfire resilience. She cautioned against reverting to outdated defensible space requirements that have been shown to be ineffective in preventing home destruction during wildfires.

Charlotte Parsons from the Black Hills Audubon Society and Samantha Weinstein from the Department of Ecology added their perspectives, emphasizing the need for the state building code council to consider the environmental implications of defensible space requirements, particularly concerning wetlands and riparian areas.

As the meeting concluded, the committee members acknowledged the complexity of the issues at hand and the necessity for further discussions to ensure that any adopted codes would effectively balance wildfire risk management with environmental protections. The committee plans to continue exploring these topics in future sessions, aiming to develop a comprehensive approach that addresses the concerns raised by various stakeholders.