Here's my two cents.............

The federal courts decided Thursday that there will be no more field burning in Idaho. Except, of course, on the five Indian Reservations. What??? How ridiculous is that. I guess the reason is because the federal courts do not have jurisdiction over the reservations. It makes no sense to me.

First of all, I would like to be on record, that I actually think it is crap that Idaho farmers must stop burning their fields. They have been doing this forever. They really have no other alternative that is feasible. Small farmers will have to sell their property because they will not be able to afford the changes needed to replace the effects the burning has on their harvests. Larger farms will have many negative effects also. It was stated in one news paper article that the benefits of the bluegrass growing on the prairie GREATLY outweighs the effects of the burning of the fields once per year. If we don't have the bluegrass fields, the quality of air will be reduced. Who studied science in school. Who learned the effects that plants have on cleaning the air????? Obviously some people were sleeping through that class. Oh, and if there are no more farmers on the prairie, guess what is gonna happen..................yep, you guessed it...........Housing developments. Right on top of the aquifer. Great...............that's just what we need. More uncontrolled growth.

I have read so many articles in the paper about people complaining about the burning. Usually it is a little old lady that has asthma and she has to go to the hospital a couple times a year because of the effects of the smoke. Ok, if the smoke is really effecting her, I feel SOME compassion for her. Some. I mean, if I had trouble with asthma, I would not move in directly north of these fields that have been burned once a year since the beginning of time. Kinda like I would not live in a house boat if I was afraid of the water. Kinda like I wouldn't move into a heavily forested area if I was deathly allergic to pollen. Go on a vacation for 2 days, lady. I mean, come on people, give the farmers some credit here. They have looked into every other possible option. The state ruled that they could not even find another feasible option. But, little old lady with asthma files a lawsuit ( along with others, I'm sure) and the federal courts finally come to a decision, no more field burning. Oh, unless you are on a reservation. That makes sense. We actually get more of the effects from the reservation burning to the south of us then the burning that happens in the field right across from our house.

The first year we moved here on the Rathdrum prairie, we saw that huge cloud of smoke and wondered what it was. Then we found out it was field burning. Yes, you could smell it. A little. Yes, you could see it. Yes, it made it look like a haze was over the area. This literally only lasted 1 day. At the most. Then the smoke was long gone. I grew up in a mining town where we all used wood stoves all winter long. I will tell you that the smoke from the those chimneys was way more potent than any smoke I have seen along this prairie. But even that did not bother me. I wasn't about to lobby for every damn house in the town to get a gas furnace so we didn't smell wood smoke. It just seems weird to me. So, there is my two cents. For whatever it is worth. I know this is a VERY controversial subject. But then again, I love to give my opinion on controversial subjects. Maybe no one wants to hear it, but that's another story.