Protecting Public Health and the Environment.

Crop Residue Burning

New

Spot and Baled Agricultural Residue and Propane Flame Burning

DEQ has implemented two new permits under the crop residue burning program:

These permits were developed to reduce the administrative requirements for burning very small amounts of residue while still protecting public health. Burning under these permits is only allowed on DEQ-designated burn days for the county where the field is located and within the designated burn window, which may include weekends and holidays.

DEQ evaluates air quality and meteorological conditions to determine whether burning under these permits is permissible. Burning may be allowed if pollutant levels are within an acceptable range and smoke is expected to disperse with minimal impact to public health and safety, including special consideration for institutions with sensitive populations (e.g., hospitals, schools).

The crop residue burning (CRB) program is designed to enable growers to burn under certain conditions while protecting public health from smoke impacts. The program is managed by DEQ on lands other than the five Indian Reservations in Idaho.

Crop residue is defined as any vegetative material remaining in the field after harvest, or vegetative material produced on conservation reserve program lands. It includes whole fields, pastures, spots within a field or pasture, broken bales in the field that they were generated during the time of harvest, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, food plots, and blanching or flaming operations. It does not include vegetation along ditch banks, fence lines, orchard prunings, or forest slash piles.

Under the CRB program, growers must obtain approval from DEQ before burning by registering for a Permit-by-Rule at least 30 days before they want to burn. Detailed information on when and where the burn is to take place is required on the registration. A $2 fee per acre registered must also be paid at least seven days in advance of the burn. In addition, growers must obtain other permits, such as a fire safety permit, if required by other agencies.

Burn days are limited to weekdays during daylight hours only. Burning on weekends and state and federal holidays is prohibited. Burning can only occur in fields where the crop residue was generated.

The program requires DEQ to ensure smoke from authorized burns does not adversely impact institutions with sensitive populations, including public schools while in session, hospitals, residential health care facilities for children, the elderly or infirm, and other institutions with sensitive populations as approved by DEQ. DEQ Policy Memorandum 10-03 outlines the procedures by which other institutions may apply for sensitive population status and DEQ's process for evaluating and approving such requests.

Grower Information

New! Idaho Fire Safety Burn Permits

Individuals living outside city limits anywhere in Idaho who plan to burn for any reason – including crop residue burning and excluding recreational campfires – during “closed fire season,” from May 10 to October 20 every year, must obtain a fire safety burn permit.

If you live inside city limits and you plan to burn, a permit from your local fire department may be required.

Fire safety burn permits can be obtained online with the new online statewide self service fire safety burn permit system at BurnPermits.Idaho.Gov. For additional information about this permit, select the FAQ at the top of the page.

Grower Online Tool - Register / Pay Fees / Submit Post-Burn Report

Grower Log-In

Online registration is preferred. A hard copy paper registration form is also available.

Need help identifying your location? Google Earth | BLM Township, Range, & Section Display

If You Don't Want to Pay Online

Make check payable to:
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Send registration and fees to:
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
CRB Program
Crop Residue Burning Registration
1410 N. Hilton
Boise, ID 83706

Training

Growers must have completed DEQ training in proper burning techniques and good smoke management within the past five years. Training may be completed online or at in-person training sessions.

Online Training

Annual Reports

Each year DEQ prepares an annual report that reviews and analyzes the year's burn season. Each report includes a summary of meteorological conditions affecting the burn season, an assessment of the burn-decision process and acres burned, an analysis of the causes of any measured air pollution levels above the program-defined concentration limits and an assessment of the circumstances associated with any reported endangerment to human health associated with a crop residue burn, a summary of trends in crop residue burning throughout the state, and a summary of program modifications and planned program improvements.

Advisory Committee


Staff Contacts

Smoke Management Program Coordinator
Mary Anderson
DEQ State Office
Air Quality Division
1410 N. Hilton
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 373-0202
mary.anderson@deq.idaho.gov

South Idaho Agricultural Smoke Management Analyst
Randy Stegen
DEQ State Office
Air Quality Division
1410 N. Hilton
Boise, ID 38706
(208) 373-0443
randy.stegen@deq.idaho.gov

North Idaho Agricultural Smoke Management Analyst
Melissa Bacon
DEQ Lewiston Regional Office
1118 "F" St.
Lewiston, ID 83501
(208) 799-4370
melissa.bacon@deq.idaho.gov

Crop Residue Burning Grower Hotline

(208) 373-0332 or toll-free at 1-866-224-2456

Crop Residue Burning Complaint Hotline and Burn Decision Information

1-800-345-1007

DEQ Resources

Crop Residue Burning in Idaho: What Growers Need to Know (May 2012)

Crop Residue Burning in Idaho: What Growers Need to Know (Spanish version) (May 2012)

Crop Residue Burning and Smoke Management: A Guide for Citizens (May 2012)

Crop Residue Burning Operating Guide (July 2011)
This guide serves as the agency’s crop residue burning smoke management program implementation tool. It describes in detail the overall and day-to-day operation of the program, including grower and DEQ requirements during the burn and non-burn seasons.

Open Burning of Crop Residue State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision (September 2009)

More Information

Picture Your Residue

Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (Sections 617-623)

Smoke from Agricultural and Forest Fires

Related Page

Daily Crop Residue Burning Decision Reports