Open-burn day extension OK�d - November 4, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2004-12-13

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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, December 13, 2004   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Wellness Connection   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 4, 2004 Open-burn day extension OK’d Jackson County is extending the fall open-burning season this year through Nov. 14, and the extra burning days could become permanent. The Board of Commissioners agreed to allow extra open-burning days after citizens asked for more time to burn debris in the fall, said Gary Stevens, the county’s director of environmental health. Open burning has been allowed after the end of fire season until Nov. 1, but often there are very few available burning days, Stevens said. By allowing more burning in the fall, when materials are relatively dry, county officials hope to eliminate some burning that happens in the spring, when wet materials tend to create more smoke and air pollution, he said. The commissioners agreed to the extension after data indicated that burning in early November during the past 10 years did not significantly degrade regional air quality, he said. Stevens said the commissioners could make the extra days permanent if the experiment works well. Advertisement Burning will be allowed on days when the "ventilation index" is above 400. The index is determined by a number of factors including wind direction and speed. Local fire departments have information about the daily burning index. Stevens encouraged people to consider alternatives to burning, such as chipping tree limbs and composting leaves. He noted that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality offers a 35 percent tax credit for wood chippers. Information about the tax credit is available on the county’s Web site at: www.jacksoncounty.org . Click on the "air quality" heading on the left side of the page for more information. Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback   ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities