Field burning has been practiced in agriculture for thousands of years. Indigenous tribes practice burning methods to clear land, help seed production, and to restore nutrient levels in the soil. Farmers in Idaho used this practice to clear out crop residue, weeds, pests, diseases, and, in the case of Kentucky bluegrass farmers, to produce seeds.However, for roughly ten years this practice has caused controversy in the states. Clean air advocates maintain that field burning is detrimental to human health. As a result of their concerns, a group called Safe Air for Everyone has been able to link nine human deaths to field burning and has take their argument to court through various lawsuits. The issue even reached the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2007 this federal court ruled that field burning outside Indian reservations as part of the state’s field burning plan has been illegal since 1993.
The stakeholders in Idaho then came to the bargaining table to work on a resolution that would leave all interested parties satisfied. The result was three pieces of legislation that have been passed. It has been a year since the negotiations, and thus far the parties seem happy with the results.
In her story on the resolution of the controversy in the Lewiston Tribune, Kathy Hedberg of the Associated Press reports that Rep. Tom Trial of Moscow Idaho, chairman of the Idaho House Agriculture committee, believes that one of the more significant changes that has kept the parties happy was switching control of monitoring the field burning program to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, rather than then Department of Agriculture. Additionally, the plan made the approval process for burning easier to handle.
Although there are still some kinks to be worked out, and tweaks to the legislation may be necessary, it appears as though the field burning controversy in Idaho may be extinguished for the time being. To read the Hedberg story click here.
Posted: 08/24/09
