Ecology beginning rule making on ag burning; the REAP program
Washington Ag Today May 10, 2010 The Washington State Department of Ecology is beginning a rule making process on agricultural burning to reflect changes made during this year’s legislative session. Senate Bill 6556 raised the cap for Agricultural Burning fees to a maximum of $3.75 per acre. The legislation also changed the pile burning fee from a per acre to a per ton fee. The Agricultural Burning Practices and Research Task Force met last week to set the 2011 fees within the new cap. The USDA is accepting applications for grants and loan guarantees for the Rural Energy for America Program or REAP. Vilsack: “And we anticipate and expect another robust round of loans and loan guarantees to support renewable assistance as well as doing energy audits on farm.” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Eligible projects under REAP include installing renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar, geothermal, biomass, and anaerobic digesters. Funding may also be used to purchase energy-efficient equipment, add insulation, and improve heating and cooling systems. A presentation on an Arid Lands Initiative by Chuck Warner of the Nature Conservancy is on the agenda of the May 14th meeting of the Big Bend Resource and Conservation Development Council. That meeting will be at Casuela’s in downtown Ritzville from noon to two p.m. Find out more at www.bbrcd1.com I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
