South Okanagan program hopes to encourage chipping rather than burning

PENTICTON – The regional district is hoping to convince local agriculturalists to chip rather than burn their unwanted fruit trees and grape vines this fall.

Freshly removed stumps, trunks and vines have a tendency to smolder, creating excessive smoke during the fall when conditions are not generally favourable to good venting.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is willing to pay for three-quarters of the cost of onsite grinding to agriculturalist who are grinding trees and vines onsite. The chips will be left on the property as mulch.

Those farmers wishing to engage in the program are being asked to contact the regional district by the end of October if they wish to take advantage of the program this year.

Agriculturalists can also bring agricultural trees, prunings and vines to regional district landfills where they will be ground up and used at the landfill site. It’s a good idea to make an appointment at the landfill if large amounts of waste are being hauled.

The regional district also accepts agricultural plastics, including ground cover plastic, plastic pipes and netting. Contact the regional district to find out how to properly prepare these products for disposal.

More information on all these regional district programs can be found by contacting the Solid Waste Division at 250-490-4129, or email the regional district at info@rdos.bc.ca.

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