Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz will present a special SEFS Seminar at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in the Forest Club Room.

Elected in 2016, Franz’s role is to protect and manage nearly six million acres of public lands in Washington state, from costal waters and aquatic reserves to working forests and farms and commercial developments and recreation areas. In this role, she is also the leader of the state’s largest wildfire fighting force and has pushed for new strategies, innovations and resources to protect Washington’s communities. As part of this, she developed a 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan to make more than one million acres of forest healthier and more resistant to wildfires.

Franz is a third-generation farmer and small forest landowner.