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<br />e PHONE NO. <br /> <br />r! STATE OF <br />[NJ~~~@u~ <br />· DEPARTMENT <br /> <br />OF <br /> <br />NATURAL <br /> <br />RESOURCES <br />September 9, 1993 <br />FILE NO. <br /> <br />DIVISION OF FORESTRY <br /> <br />FIRE CHIEFS, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, AND OTHER COOPERATORS <br /> <br />REGARDING: OPEN BURNING REGULATION CHANGE NOTICE <br /> <br />Effective August 1, 1993, the DNR - Division of Forestry will be the sole <br />authority regulating open burning in Minnesota. During the last legislative <br />session (1992-1993) Minnesota Forestry Statutes (MS 88.01-88.22 and 88.75, <br />88.76) were updated and revised to incorporate the MPCA air quality open burn <br />regulations. This included fire department structure fire training and <br />permanent burn site regulations. <br /> <br />Only certified DNR forest officers and Commissioned State Fire wardens will <br />be allowed to issue open burn permits after August I, 1993, statewide. For <br />those fire chiefs, local fire marshals, or other designated persons who were <br />previously MPCA approved, they must now be commissioned as state fire wardens <br />in order to retain their open burn permit issuing authority. It will be our <br />policy to train and certify those persons, counties, or municipalities <br />desiring to regulate the burning in their area jurisdiction. Since this <br />process will take some time, DNR is extending the MPCA delegated authority <br />through November 30, 1993 or until DNR can recommission those authorities <br />that wish to continue issuing permits. <br /> <br />.me main points that fire chiefs and local governments should be aware of as <br />llows: <br /> <br />1. The Minnesota open burn permit is required statewide, except when <br />the ground is snow covered. This applies to municipalities as <br />well. Permits can be issued for vegetative fuels only. If permits <br />are to be required when the ground is snow covered, or year round, <br />then local ordinance must be initiated. <br /> <br />2. Permits are not required for campfires. This is not new, but it <br />should be noted the new definition is the same as the former MPCA's <br />recreational fire definition. Local ordinance is required to <br />prohibit campfires. <br /> <br />3. Burners (formerly called burn barrels) - allowed statewide for <br />veqetative fuels.only. New burning hours established 6:00 p.m. to <br />8:00 a.m. Local ordinance is required to prohibit burners. <br /> <br />4. Law enforcement the former MPCA regulations have been <br />incorporated into Forestry statutes. This means that citations may <br />be written by forest officers, conservation officers, and all other <br />peace officers. A bail schedule is in the process of development~ <br />This allows for citations to be issued directly as per officer <br />discretion on site for any burning fire violation that may occur in <br />your area of jurisdiction. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />