Hilary Franz

Commissoner of Public Lands, Department of Natural Resources

Elected in 2016, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz protects and manages nearly six million acres of public lands in Washington State – from coastal waters and aquatic reserves, to working forests and farms, to commercial developments and recreation areas. Commissioner Franz is committed to ensuring our public lands are healthy and productive, both today and for future generations.    She is leading the push to make Washington’s lands resilient in the face of climate change, investing in carbon sequestration and clean energy with wind, solar, and geothermal infrastructure.   As the leader of our state's largest wildfire fighting force, she has pushed for new strategies, innovations, and resources to protect our communities.   In order to restore wildfire resilience in our forests, Commissioner Franz developed a 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan. This plan will make more than one million acres of forest healthier and more resistant to wildfires – a scale and pace that is unprecedented.     And she has prioritized investments in our rural communities, allocating millions of dollars to spark economic opportunities in struggling communities. She knows that our working lands – and the communities that depend on them for family-wage jobs – are integral to our success as a state, and she is investing in their success.   Hilary is a third-generation farmer and small forest landowner, and has raised three wonderful boys.     She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University Law School.