Oregon Public Broadcasting

An effort to ban field burning in Oregon is gaining political momentum.

Grass seed growers set fire to their land after harvest to control weeds and pests. Opponents of the practice say field burning causes health problems, especially in the Willamette Valley.  

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski wants to phase out field burning.  And now Eugene Democratic Representative Paul Holvey says he’ll introduce a bill to do just that.  

The grass seed industry says it will fight it.  

Roger Beyer is executive secretary of the Oregon Seed Council.

Roger Beyer: “We’re willing to talk about all issues, but we just think it’s important that the Legislature not get involved in farming practices, and field burning is a farming practice.”

The legislature has already reduced the field burning that’s allowed each year.  But attempts to ban it entirely have failed, most recently in the 2007 legislative session.