Forest Service needs to better plan, inform public of burns


Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board

Links
Email_black_18  E-mail           Print_black_18  Print            Talk_black_18  Comments
Advertisement

More 'Opinion'

  1. We've got feline fever. Go Wildcats!
  2. Trust would better ensure return on bailout bucks
  3. Trust judicial system: Try 9/11 suspects in Manhattan
  4. Agencies must prove they can work together on clean water
  5. Selah Creek plan reflects bold thinking
  6. Don't marginalize voters to gain more immediacy
  7. Actions of WSU, Congress clear away some of recession gloom
More Stories:   Today's News | This Week

 

This editorial appears in the Nov. 5, 2009, Yakima Herald-Republic.

Where there's smoke, there should be fire.

It took a few weeks, but the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency made the right decision by turning up the heat and putting the U.S. Forest Service on notice: Be better prepared the next time a controlled burn takes place in Central Washington.

The agency issued a violation notice to the Forest Service for a 2,000-acre controlled burn in late September in the Bethel Ridge area west of Yakima. The burn sent a blanket of smoke into the Yakima Valley that lasted for five hours and triggered what the agency considered a violation of the state's clean air law.

At least 17 residents in Tieton, Selah and Yakima complained to the agency about the smoke and its potential health effects on people suffering from asthma and other breathing-related problems.

It's the first time the clean air agency has ever cited the Forest Service for a violation. Though no fines are involved, the Forest Service is required to submit a response within 10 days that details how it will prevent future situations, or face potential fines up to $12,000 a day.

Though Forest Service officials had no immediate comment about the citation, we trust the federal agency will assume its responsibility to those living here and prepare better contingency plans for the future.

September's controlled burns were designed to reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires by limiting the amount of combustible materials like downed tree limbs and bushes.

The objective makes sense, but the way it was handled did not. The Forest Service argues the winds changed unexpectedly in the afternoon of Sept. 28, causing the thick smoke to move into the populated Yakima Valley. What the Forest Service will need to do is learn from this incident and create a new weather model that takes into account what the prevailing conditions were on that day. What nobody wants is a repeat performance.

Also, the Forest Service needs to improve how it notifies the public. Providing information on upcoming controlled burns to the news media is a starting point, but creating a continually updated Web site about those burns is another step that should be taken.

In the case of public health, having too much information is never a bad idea. Having too little is asking for trouble.

 

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.

 



Commentsicon2
Posted by Datruef at 11/05/09 08:45AM        Post ID#: #17126

I realize the smoke in the upper valley from the control burns bothered alot of people. But, the forrest service did give everyone advanced notice. People, this is not an utopian society. This is not heaven ! This clean air authority is not perfect ! The forest service is not perfect ! Humanity if FAR from perfect. QUIT trying to stir people up Yakima Herald ! And the Herald is far from perfect ! I am far from perfect. But, I do believe the forest service is somewhat ahead of the clean air authority and the Herald. When the clean air authority is actually a dictatorial agency rather than a freedom foundation; I do not look to closely at the clean air's authority. being gasseling has been on the board since the start. It proves to me that it is not a board that the public can have any faith in as far as being represented !In this case I will side with the forrest service. Seems that the minority rules these days over the majority. Suck it up and be blessed with what you have ! Hey Yakima herald, take a holiday on this subject for the sake the forrest service or else go volunteer with them for three summer months and learn what is actually going on @!

Report Violation
Posted by Yakima4life at 11/10/09 04:29PM        Post ID#: #17695

You obviously work for either DNR or USFS. I am glad to see that the big boys are being taken down a notch. You probably have no idea about air quality and how it affects people with asthma or other breathing problems. You are an idiot.

Report Violation
Log in or Register to leave a comment.

Posting Guidelines - Updated Aug. 21 2009
Readers are encouraged to use these forums to discuss issues affecting the Yakima Valley. Debate the ideas presented in stories and other comments, but refrain from personal attacks and offensive remarks aimed at others; e.g., you may call an idea idiotic, but don't say the person is an idiot. The Herald-Republic reserves the right to remove any comment for any reason. Examples include material that is obscene, encourages illegal activity or stereotypes based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and other factors. Continued violation of these guidelines can lead to suspension or revocation of your ability to post comments. If you believe a comment is inappropriate, you can bring it to our attention by clicking the "report violation" link by each comment. Guidelines revised Aug. 21, 2009.

Registered User?