DOE rep outlines rules for ag burning

Whitman Conserva-tion District’s annual dinner meeting was at the LaCrosse Community Center Feb. 12 after the district’s board conducted its monthly meeting. Approxi-mately 30 people attended.

Kary Peterson from the Department of Ecology Burn Team presented information about outside burning and burn permits for farmers.

Burning in a burn barrel is now illegal everywhere in Washington.

Only natural vegetation can be burned, and if smoke from a fire affects a neighbor, the fire must be extinguished.

Peterson said composting and chipping are alternatives to burning. Curbside pickup and community-wide or neighborhood cleanup days are other alternatives, along with taking waste to a landfill.

A burn pile must be less than 4x4x3-feet and only one pile can be burned at a time.

All fires must have someone watching over them, and no fires are allowed within 50 feet of buildings or 500 feet of forest slash.

Outdoor fires are prohibited when air pollution levels are unhealthy, and burning after sunset is prohibited unless a permit specifically allows it, she said.

Peterson said to always check with a local fire department for permit and safety requirements before burning.

Whitman Conserva-tion District has applications for field burning permits. All commercial agricultural operations must get a permit before burning natural vegetation, except when burning orchard prunings, natural vegetation along fence lines, irrigation and drainage ditches or natural vegetation blown by the wind.

Local fire departments must be notified before burning. To make sure burning can be allowed on certain day, call the burn hotline: 1-800-406-5322.

The permit will be valid for Jan. 1 through June 30, or July 1 through Dec. 31.

Peterson said DOE is using various tools to determine air quality and to predict wind direction. DOE is working with Washington State University predicting how high any smoke could go.

Peterson also recommended spot burn permits to get rid of weed patches and tumbleweeds. Spot burn permits are typically for areas of a half-acre or less. These permits are valid for a year and allow a total of no more than 10 acres for small sites during the year.

The meeting agenda also included Amy Trujillo of Palouse Land Trust. Chandance Bennett of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also was scheduled to talk about wolves in Whitman County but did not appear because she was ill. District manager Nancy Hoobler said Bennett might schedule a Whitman County presentation some time in March.