As you know, 1998 was the year when Willamette Valley seed growers had to come in below the acreage limitations on field burning imposed by the 1991 Oregon Legislature. Thus, this summer marks year four of that limitation. Recall that the law established a gradual phase down in the amount of acres allowed for open field burning with a final limit established at 40,000 acres. In addition, another 25,000 acres were allowed for identified species (as determined by the Oregon Department of Agriculture) and for acres grown on steep terrain.
Last year Willamette Valley grass seed growers open burned a total of 49,744 acres out of 479,800 acres grown in the Valley - about 10 percent. In addition, another 1,057 acres of cereal crop stubble was burned. (In the Willamette Valley, sanitation of cereal crops is included within the open burning limitation.) Growers in the Willamette Valley must pay $2 per acre to register and $8 per acre to open field burn ($10 per acre total.) Propane flaming is $2 per acre to register and $2 per acre to burn ($4 per acre total). For 2001, the stack burning fee is $10 per acre.
As was the situation in the last three years, the Oregon Department of Agriculture received registrations for more than the 40,000 regular acres (not identified species or steep terrain acres) allowed by law to be burned. Thus, all Willamette Valley Fire Districts have been allocated 72 percent of the regular acres they registered for open field burning in order to achieve the 40,000 acre limitation. (There were 55,541 acres registered as regular; thus, 0.72 x 55, 541 = 40,000 acres.)
In addition to the 40,000 regular acres allocated for open field burning this year, 21,261 acres of identified species (fine-leaf fescues and Highland bentgrass) have been registered and will be allocated at 100 percent. Plus another 789 acres that qualified as steep terrain was registered, which will also be allocated at 100%. By law, the total of identified species and steep terrain acres cannot exceed 25,000 (this year's total is 22,050 acres). Thus, it is possible that as many as 62,050 acres will be burned this summer. In addition, Willamette Valley growers have registered to propane flame only 2,263 acres of grass seed crop stubble this summer.
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