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State offers wood-chipper credit Jim Craven photo Arborist Phil Frazee uses a wood chipper to grind up a madrone limb at his property on Alpine Road near Agate Lake. In an effort to discourage open burning and reduce particulates in the air, the state is offering a tax credit for those who buy a wood chipper to dispose of debris. By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune How much wood could a wood chipper chip if a wood chipper could chip wood - for a tax break? Anna Kemmerer doesn't know about the wood, but she does know the state will chip in a 50 percent tax credit for anyone purchasing a wood chipper before the end of the year. "A wood chipper provides an alternative to open burning," said the environmental specialist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Medford office. "Open burning puts a lot of particulates into the air, which is particularly harmful to people with respiratory problems, heart disease as well as the elderly," she added. "The use of wood chippers cuts down those particulates." How to apply for tax credit Anyone interested in receiving a tax credit application for the purchase of a wood chipper should contact Anna Kemmerer in the Department of Environmental Quality office in Medford at 776-6010, Ext. 237. Applications are also available on the DEQ's Web site at www.deq.state.or.us. Click on "programs," then select "tax credits." However, there is a $50 minimum application fee. Applicants must have applied by Oct. 19 to receive the credit for this year. Anyone applying afterward can expect that credit to be taken off next year's taxes. A chipper can cost from several hundred dollars to multiple thousands, depending on the size and make. However, the tax credit is limited to wood chippers that cost no more than $50,000. Although the tax credit program is statewide, there is an emphasis in the Rogue Valley where particulates from open burning can create severe pollution on windless days, she noted. Enacted by the 1999 state Legislature and extended this year, the wood chipper tax credit program is open to all Oregon taxpayers, from private citizens to corporations. If purchased before Dec. 31, it allows a 50 percent tax credit. For those purchased Jan. 1 or later, the tax credit is 35 percent. However, anyone who purchased a wood chipper in the past two years qualifies for the 50 percent tax credit. For those in Jackson County's air quality maintenance area where no open burning is allowed November through February, a wood chipper is a good alternative, observed Jackson Baures, environmental health specialist for the Jackson County Department of Health and Human Services. The area blankets incorporated communities in the county as well as regions where pollution is a historic problem. "Wood chips are also great for landscaping," Baures said. "They cool your soil and conserve the moisture." But he suggests would-be wood chippers consult with a landscaper experienced in wood chips before applying them. "Do a little homework before you start chipping," he advised. Longtime arborist Phil Frazee of Eagle Point, who has been working with wood chippers for 25 years, agreed. The machines come in a variety of styles, he noted. "But it's a great way to recycle instead of wasting by burning or causing more pollution," said Frazee, a member of the Medford Ashland Air Quality Committee which advises local agencies on air quality issues. Instead of burning debris left from a job, Frazee routinely chips the material, then uses it for mulch. Mulch from the chipped wood builds up the soil, he said, noting four inches of wood mulch is ideal. Most indigenous plants don't contain chemicals that harm other plants, he said. "But if you've got something like black walnut, you may not want to chip that up for your vegetable garden," he said, adding that walnut contains a substance that is toxic to other plants. However, burning the brush piles or slash can also harm the soil underneath, creating dead zones, he said. "The only areas where we need to burn anymore is on sites so extremely difficult they can't be reached because of the steepness of the slope or places where there has been a disease that killed trees," he said. While it would seem that burning woody material would be cheaper than chipping, he has found that in many cases, particularly when it comes to having to buy mulch, it's cheaper to chip than burn. "This tax credit program is the best thing since sliced bread," he said. "It's fantastic. I hope they extend the tax credit program again." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.