BURNING: Breaking a promise

A few years ago, the U.S. Forest Service burned a huge area above Mokins Bay, Hayden Lake creating dense smoke for weeks and turning the lake gray during the following spring runoff.

They promised no more burns in the Hayden Watershed for 10-25 years. A few years later the Enormous Badger Burn has begun. Private development and logging operations are also burning and smoking. Since Hayden Lake is a closed airshed with surrounding mountains, the Idaho DEQ prairie monitors are worthless for identifying proper burns. Yet, the U.S. Forest Service bases their huge burns on those monitors.

A recent Coeur d’Alene Press article led readers to believe the enormous logging piles piled high with slash and dirt would be reduced and burned in smaller piles.

The U.S. Government requires BAT (best available technology) for cars, snowmobiles in parks and wood stoves. The U.S. Forest Service does NOT meet those same standards. They burn green slash without elevating piles in airsheds that do not evacuate smoke and allow piles to smolder for days and weeks polluting the air and lakes.

The Forest Service lied in a recent newspaper article; they did NOT reduce the huge slash piles at English Point! They say chipping is too expensive — the public is not allowed that exception for wood stoves, snowmobiles or cars.

A few years ago a forest service burn above Mokins Bay turned the lake gray as well as smoking up the lake for weeks.

How much damage to Hayden Lake and the health of residents?

JOHN RUBERT

Hayden