Burning permits required for orchard "tear out"

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - April 19, 2001

01-061

Burning permits required for orchard "tear out"

OLYMPIA - Orchardists who plan to tear out their orchards should be aware that one of two kinds of burning permits is required in order to burn whole trees pulled out of orchards.

The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) is still issuing all "agricultural burning" permits, while Okanogan, Chelan and Douglas counties will each issue "land-clearing" permits.

Burning may occur under either permit, but the type of permit needed depends on what the land will be used for after the orchard is torn out.

Agricultural burning permits are required when trees are removed but the land will still be used for agriculture - for example, another crop or orchard will be planted.
Land-clearing permits are required if the land will no longer be used for an agricultural purpose or if the future use is uncertain.

Agricultural burning permits are issued by Ecology. To apply, growers should call 509-456-2926. Application packets also may be available from local fire departments or county offices, although those local offices do not issue agricultural burning permits.

Growers who tear out trees and do not plan to replant an agricultural crop, or whose future plans for the land are uncertain, must have a land-clearing burn permit from the county.

In Douglas County, call 509-884-6671.
In Okanogan County, call 509-422-5757.
In Chelan County, call 509-664-5515.

If an orchardist intends to replant part of his land but doesn't know yet what he will do with the rest, then he should obtain a permit based on what he will do with the majority of the property. If most of the property will be replanted, an agricultural-burning permit is needed; if most of the property will be converted to a non-agricultural use or if the landowner is uncertain what he will do with the property, a land-clearing permit is appropriate.

Orchard prunings (tree limbs) may be burned without a permit. However, there may be local requirements for a burn permit, so growers should check with their local fire departments.

As an alternative to burning, especially in urban growth areas where state law prohibits land-clearing burning, Ecology can put orchardists in touch with chipping companies or firewood haulers. For further information, call David Schneider at Ecology (509-454-7845) and ask for a copy of the wood processor list.

Media contacts:Jani Gilbert, public information manager, 509-456-4464
Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, 509-575-2610