Burning has long been a cost effective and efficient method to manage agricultural
and forest residues. However, burning these residues can cause many negative
impacts on the surrounding community. The smoke from vegetative burning can cause
health impacts to those close to the source, as well as to people hundreds of
miles away. Because of these impacts, many Californians are seeking alternative
methods to dispose these wastes.
The title 17 Smoke Management Guidelines for Agricultural
and Prescribed Burning strongly encourage the use of alternatives to the
burning of agricultural and forest residue. The use of a specific alternative
is dependent on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the type
of residue, the season, weather conditions, possible environmental impacts,
and the cost-effectiveness of the alternative. The links below provide information
about several commonly available alternative residue management techniques.
(Although the following information is derived from fuel treatments in the
forest setting, substantial portions of this data apply to the treatment of
agricultural crop waste, such as orchard waste wood.)
