(1) The commissioner must appoint a local wildland fire liaison that reports directly to the commissioner or the supervisor and generally represents the interests and concerns of landowners and the general public during any fire suppression activities of the department.

(2) The role of the local wildland fire liaison is to:

(a) Provide advice to the commissioner on issues such as access to land during fire suppression activities, the availability of local fire suppression assets, environmental concerns, and landowner interests; and

(b) Fulfill other duties as assigned by the commissioner or the legislature, including the recruitment of local wildland fire suppression contractors as provided in RCW 76.04.181.

(3) In appointing the local wildland fire liaison, the commissioner must consult with county legislative authorities either directly or through an organization that represents the interests of county legislative authorities.

(4) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

Effective date—2017 c 104: See note following RCW 76.04.181.