Smokey Bear is officially taking his show on the road.
Governor Bob Ferguson signed SBB 5444 into law on Tuesday, authorizing a special license plate depicting Smokey that will help fund the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) efforts to prevent human-caused wildfires and support wildland firefighters.
“It’s fitting that our state’s first Smokey Bear license plate has been passed by the State Legislature during Wildfire Awareness Month,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said. “Approximately 90 percent of wildfires every year are human caused. We couldn’t have a better advocate for wildfire prevention crisscrossing Washington along our interstates, highways and roads than Smokey.”
The Smokey Bear license plate will be available for purchase on Nov. 1 for a fee of $40 for the initial plate and a renewal fee of $30. The proceeds will go to the Department of Natural Resources’ wildfire prevention programs.
“A lot of hard work went into passing this bill and I want to especially thank Rep. Donaghy and Sen. Nobles for their efforts as prime sponsors over the last two sessions,” Commissioner Upthegrove said.
Smokey Bear has been the face of wildfire prevention around the world since 1944. The Smokey Bear license plate will allow Washingtonians to show their support for firefighters while supporting DNR’s efforts to drastically reduce the number of wildfires started by humans. The Smokey Bear license plate will also raise public awareness of wildfire prevention, letting everyone know that we all can help ensure the safety of our neighbors.
Source: Commissioner of Public Lands