Backyard burning necessary on acreage
Once again, may I remind everyone of the difference between a backyard and treed acreage. When I person cleans up a backyard, the amount is manageable and can be taken to Bing’s Creek but not to the worst neighbouring business in our area.
Cleaning up acreage is much more involved, what with wind and snow damage that topples trees. All those branches have to be dealt with somehow and, because not everyone has an excavator and a dump truck, it has to be dealt with on site. Unless one is so rich that they can pay someone to do this.
Because the CVRD hasn’t a clue about weather conditions, they have picked two of the worst times that allow outdoor burning. As it hasn’t rained lately, the bush is dry and now would not be the time to burn. Yet they put up a venting index which could say that it was ok. Because of the amount of clean-up and the time limits, people will take the chance and this is not an ideal time due to weather conditions, notwithstanding the current situation.
The same goes for the fall period. Most times the bush is too dry and one must wait for days of rain to ensure no spark could ignite the bush. The best times are in the wet months when most people are indoors because of inclement weather and the rain dampens any ash emitted.
I hear people clamouring for roadside pickup of this material. Guess who would not be able to use it? People with acreage because there would be too much to handle. We would be on our own, as we have always been. People who have moved from the city want what they used to have. They haven’t a clue of what we have to deal with. Perhaps an education program is in order. This could include hands on experience of cleaning up an acreage of branches, hauling them to a pile and loading up said pile. This might give them a clue how much work is involved to do this chore. It would be good exercise to boot. Or they could bring their little car and haul away one or two branches at a time, which would open their eyes as to why we burn.
Of course no one will have sympathy of what I have just written and the weird suggestions will follow. Composting, burying or paying for someone to haul the material away without knowing that person’s ability to pay. Remember, this has to be done every year.
Oh well! At least I tried.
Ed Aiken
Cobble Hill