Murray, Newhouse Introduce New Legislation to Protect U.S. Winegrape Growing Regions Against Wildfire Smoke Damage

Press Release

"Washington state is the second-largest wine producing state in the country, creating thousands of jobs and fueling tourism across the state. Washington is also seeing an alarming increase in wildfires year after year, which creates a serious smoke exposure problem for winegrape growers across the West Coast. Vineyards in Washington state and all the way down to California need a crop insurance policy for smoke-exposed winegrapes, rather than being forced to rely on ad-hoc disaster assistance from year to year -- and that's what this legislation will provide. I'm proud that research at Washington State University has played a leading role in studying the impacts of smoke exposure, and this bill takes a critical and needed step to protect our state's vital wine industry."

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