Field burning deal signed

Governor: Agreement ends long-term disputes

BOISE - Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Friday signed into law fast-track legislation that codifies a negotiated, multi-party agreement for managing farm crop residue burning statewide.

The governor said House Bill 557 becoming law ushers in a new era of negotiated agreements over controversial issues in Idaho instead settling them in courtrooms.

“This problem began a long time ago, has caused a lot of angst in many areas,” Otter said, “has threatened an important part of our economy; has threatened an important part of our health and our environmental safety in Idaho.”

In North Idaho, huge plumes of smoke for many years wafted heavily over the region in late summer and early fall from the burning of Kentucky bluegrass stubble to regenerate fields for the next years' crops. The billows of smoke aggravated respiratory health problems for many people, underscoring the air pollution problem and the need for changes.

A January 2007 9th District Court of Appeals ruling that banned field burning in North Idaho last year set the stage for the negotiations, the governor noted.

“We initiated negotiations to resolve this issue,” Otter, a Republican, said. “The legislation today represents the culmination of more than six months of extensive negotiation Š focused on finding common ground and a workable solution.”

Compromise legislation support for HB 557 came from several sources involved in the negotiations that began in July, including the directors of the Idaho departments of Environmental Quality and Agriculture, and Safe Air For Everyone (SAFE) and Idaho agricultural groups such as grain growers, Otter said.

“The key players on my team were (DEQ Director) Toni Hardesty and (Agriculture Director) Celia Gould,” Otter said.

HB 557 sets a limit for bluegrass field burning at 20,000 acres excluding the lands of Idaho Indian tribes, lowers the per acre burn fees from the current $4 to $2, shifts authority from Agriculture to the DEQ to regulate burning, and makes the names of burners a matter of public record.

“A lot of effort went into getting us to this location today,” Hardesty said. “And I think there were probably times when all of us weren't sure we were gonna get there. But it was through a lot of perseverance and hard work and willingness to really work through the tough issues.”

Said Gould: “I think that the work that's gone on with the agencies is a true reflection of the leadership that the governor has provided for us in his effort to solve problems instead of stand in corners and point fingers.”

She added: “Again, my hat's off to the growers and to SAFE for coming to the (negotiating) table. There were a lot of times that we took one step forward and two steps back. And then, fortunately, the reverse of that.”

Patti Gora, the executive director at SAFE said in late February that a May 9 target date has been set for Idaho to submit a documented plan to the federal Environmental Protection Agency to gain approval for crop residue burning to tentatively occur in the fall.

“Sometimes when we're in the midst of a battle and the battle is raging on some of these issues, the smoke gets pretty thick,” said Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, who pushed the bill during the legislative process.

Roberts, the House majority caucus chair added: “And, on this issue, it's good that the smoke has risen and cleaned out, and we can see clearly now to where the state of Idaho needs to go to get the production tools back in the hands of the farmers and provide them with the stable business and economic livelihood that they need to be successful and keep the revenues coming into the state of Idaho.”

Introduced on Feb. 25, it took just a dozen days for HB 557 to become law.

The Senate passed the measure on a 34-0 vote Thursday vote.

HB 557 passed the full House 66-0 on Feb. 29.

In a related action, the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday morning appropriated $606,400 for the new effort to regulate crop residue burning.