(1) This regulation applies to burning
related to agricultural activities. It does not apply to silvicultural burning
or outdoor burning. For these requirements refer to:
Chapter 173-425 WAC for outdoor burning.
Chapter 332-24 WAC for silvicultural burning.
(2) Burning of organic debris related to
agricultural activities is allowed when it is reasonably necessary to carry out
the enterprise. Agricultural burning is reasonably necessary to carry out the
enterprise when it meets the criteria of the best management practices and no
practical alternative is reasonably available.
(3) Anyone conducting burning related to
agricultural activities must comply with local fire safety laws and rules, and
burn when wind takes the smoke away from roads, homes, population centers, or
other public areas.
(4) Burning
related to agricultural activities must not occur during an air pollution
episode or any stage of impaired air quality. Definitions of air pollution
episode and impaired air quality are found in WAC
173-430-030.
(5) Burning of organic debris related to
agricultural activities requires a permit and fee, except for agricultural
burning that is incidental to commercial agricultural activities (
RCW
70.94.6524). An agricultural operation
burning under the incidental agricultural burning exception must still notify
the local fire department within the area and not burn during an air pollution
episode or any stage of impaired air quality. The specific types of burning
that qualify as exceptions to the permit requirement are:
(a) Orchard prunings. An orchard pruning is a
routine and periodic operation to remove overly vigorous or nonfruiting tree
limbs or branches to improve fruit quality, assist with tree canopy training
and improve the management of plant and disease, and pest
infestations;
(b) Organic debris
along fencelines. A fenceline or fencerow is the area bordering a commercial
agricultural field that is or would be unworkable by equipment used to
cultivate the adjacent field;
(c)
Organic debris along or in irrigation or drainage ditches. An irrigation or
drainage ditch is a waterway which predictably carries water (not necessarily
continuously) and is unworkable by equipment used to cultivate the adjacent
field;
(d) Organic debris blown by
wind. The primary example is tumbleweeds.
