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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 19, 2005 Haze, apparently from controlled burns on federal land near Ruch, drifts high and low in this view looking west from the flanks of Roxy Ann Peak in east Medford. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Rules just a bit hazy State regulations allowed forest burn that left valley with more settled smoke By Bill Kettler Mail Tribune "No burning" doesn’t always mean no burning. Smoke from controlled burns on forest land near Ruch filled the sky west of Medford Friday while Jackson County and much of western Oregon remained in the midst of a prolonged air stagnation advisory. County officials earlier in the week banned residential debris burning and asked residents to shut down their wood stoves to limit air pollution. The Medford office of the Department of Environmental Quality fielded at least 10 calls from residents wondering why anyone was burning when smoke and haze have been steadily increasing for days. "I’ve been on the phone all afternoon," said Anna Kemmerer, an environmental specialist for air quality. Kemmerer patiently explained the two different sets of rules that give foresters a green light to burn while ordinary citizens are asked to make less smoke. Advertisement In a nutshell, forest burning is regulated by a statewide smoke management plan developed by the Department of Forestry. Local governments and the Department of Environmental Quality regulate backyard burning and woodstove use in cities and developed areas. The smoke management plan allows forest burning on days when prevailing winds are expected to move the smoke away from populated areas. The theory is that burning on forest lands, which are generally at relatively high altitude, produces smoke that travels into the upper atmosphere and disperses, even when there is little air movement at ground level. Under those same conditions, DEQ and county officials restrict burning because smoke from woodstoves and debris piles tends to hover close to the ground, loading the air with pollutants that cause breathing problems for people with asthma and other health problems. Kemmerer said the subtle differences between the two approaches to smoke management are often lost on ordinary citizens who see the sky fill with smoke while they’re asked to refrain from burning. "It makes people cranky," she said. Federal land managers use the state smoke plan to determine when they can burn. The Bureau of Land Management got approval from state foresters in Salem before setting fire to some 450 acres on sites near Ruch, Applegate and Merlin, in Josephine County. Meteorologists gave the okay for Friday’s burn based on the expectation that prevailing winds would push the smoke away from Medford, said Greg Chandler, a fuels reduction specialist for the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management. Chandler acknowledged that burning on Thompson Creek had left "a lot of smoke" in that area. Nick Yonker, a smoke management meteorologist for the Department of Forestry, said people complain whenever smoke drifts into populated areas. "It’s a problem that we’ve dealt with for years," he said. "Anytime we screw up we hear about it." Kemmerer said many people who called DEQ were confused by the conflicting objectives of the two programs. She recalled one caller who said "It just makes no sense. You’ve got a state agency telling us nobody should burn and a federal agency burning." Forecasters said the atmospheric inversion that is causing current air quality concerns could continue at least through Thanksgiving. No rain was in the forecast for the next seven days. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail RULES JUST A BIT HAZY ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s