Field Burning Issues

[Tom Trail <ttrail@moscow.com>]

Visionaries:   There has been a great deal in the papers lately about the
issue of field burning of
blue grass fields.   Blue grass is one of the few profitable crops
remaining for farmers.   The
crop also prevents soil erosion and improves water quality.

A great deal of progress is being made to reduce burning emissions.   One
such pilot project
is the fencing of grass fields after harvest and having the fields grazed
down by sheep.   A propane
burner is then used to burn off the remainder of the residue, and the field
is set to reseed for the
following year.  Emissions are reduced to almost one percent as contrasted
to the burning of
a field the traditional way.

Another technique has already been demonstrated to be effective.   One can
combine grass straw
with industrial hemp (or wheat straw can also be used) to produce a fiber
board that is 3-4 times
stronger than fiber board presently on the market.   WSU already has
conducted all of the
research on using industrial hemp to make fiber board.   It is one of the
strongest plant fibers
in the world.

Again,  once the grass straw is bailed and taken off a propane burner is
used and the field is set
for the following year.  Utilizing this technique field emissions are
reduced from 100 to one
percent.

Of course, industrial hemp is illegal to grow in the U.S., and a change of
national policy will
be needed to overturn current government policy.  Over 1,000 Canadian
farmers are growing
industrial hemp.   The return to farmers is above that of other available
crops.   I've talked with
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and they say there is no indication that
growing industrial
hemp has contributed to the crime rate in Canada.   This is apparently the
great fear of DEA, our
Governor, and many law enforcement officials in the U.S.  Industrial hemp
is grown is more
than 45 countries including Europe.

I recently visited the largest industrial hemp factory in the US in
Spokane.   The Good Earth/
American Hemp Factory processes and dyes industrial hemp and sells it to
Ralph Lauren, Polo,
Gucchi, etc. as fabric.   The company can't keep up with the demand, and
they would like to
buy it from Idaho farmers.

Rep.Tom Trail/Dist. 5

Dr. Tom Trail
International Trails
1375 Mt. View Rd.
Moscow, Id. 83843
Tel:  (208) 882-6077
Fax:  (208) 882-0896
e mail ttrail@moscow.com