Tribe can lead on this hot issue

Supporters of bluegrass-field burning in Idaho called it exploration of a legal loophole.

Opponents of the summer ritual had a different take on last week's federal appeals court ruling.

"It's actually a great day for breathers," said Patti Gora, executive director of Safe Air For Everyone.

The two distinctly different interpretations of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' unanimous ruling fit perfectly on both sides of the battle line drawn years ago by proponents and opponents of the practice, which involves farmers burning the stubble off bluegrass fields after harvest. That process provides strong economic incentive for grass farmers to continue growing bluegrass, but it also fills the skies with dark, unhealthy smoke on burn days.

We think it's too early to tell exactly what impact the 9th Circuit Court's ruling will have. The court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its authorization of agricultural field burning in Idaho, yet at the same time allowed field burning to continue while the EPA studies its health effects.

We don't think it's too early, though, to encourage the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to take a leadership role in this ongoing debate.

Over the past few years, grass-field burning in North Idaho has been decreasing, while the practice on and among tribal lands is growing. A decade ago, seasonal burns of 10,000 or more acres on the Rathdrum Prairie were not uncommon. At the same time, burns were minimal on reservation land.

Now, the burn roles are reversed. A typical Rathdrum Prairie burn season involves 2,000 to 3,000 acres. But south of us, burns of about 30,000 acres apparently are becoming the norm. We say "apparently" because the tribe has been reluctant or unable to give precise figures.

Because it's a sovereign nation, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe does not have to abide by Idaho's rules. While the EPA rolls up its sleeves and more closely examines the consequences of field burning, we ask the tribe to step up and phase out burning on its lands as expeditiously as possible. With the billowing clouds of smoke rolling northward, this annual rite of pollution affects residents beyond tribal lands far more than it does the tribal locals. As acknowledged stewards of this precious earth, tribal leaders can fulfill an ages-old pledge and greatly assist their neighbors at the same time.