Community
Slash Pile Information
The
Union Pass Community Slash Pile is for the private landowners from
the Union Pass Area subdivisions to pile woody debris generated by
fuel reduction treatments from their properties no other materials
may be put in the pile. Any garbage, refuge, old tires, or anything
of this nature found in the pile will end the use of this site and
may result in a fine for the person(s) responsible for the items.
Treated wood and other materials generated from structure construction
may NOT be placed in this pile. Informational signs and green metal
posts will mark the location of this pile. The pile will be monitored
for its size and may be burned throughout the year by US Forest Service
fire crews depending on the weather and pile condition.
To help make this pile clean up easier, pile the slash as high as
you can and keep it narrow at the bottom. This will make the pile
easier to burn and it will also burn more completely. This pile will
be monitored by private individuals who want to keep this pile as
a tool in reducing hazardous fuels in the community and by the US
Forest Service. Please
follow marked routes for entrance and exit of slash pile site.
The US Forest
Service has requested that the Union Pass neighborhood maintain
the community slash pile in the 2004 season until it can safely
be burned in the late fall or winter. Maintenance will involve monitoring
for unacceptable items and occasionally pushing the pile together.
The UPEPC has agreed to supervise the project.
Acceptable
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Non-Acceptable
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Brush
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Garbage
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Limbs
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Tires
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Branches
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Household
Refuse
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Woody
Debris
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Metal
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Landowner Slash Disposal Information
During thinning operations limbs and branches will accumulate.
This debris is called slash. Eliminating slash reduces fire hazards,
improves aesthetics, helps develop grass and other vegetation, improves
access for people, livestock, and wildlife and allows sunlight to
reach the forest floor which improves regeneration. The slash disposal
method you use will depend on cost, size, amount, location, and
the final appearance desired. Four common methods of slash disposal
are: loading and hauling, chipping, lopping and scattering, &
piling and burning.
- Loading
and Hauling
Generally speaking, loading and hauling is the best option for
most landowners who wish to dispose of their slash. The local
community slash pile located at the gravel pit on Open View Road
provides an excellent site for the accumulation of slash from
residents in the Union Pass area. Trained professionals will burn
the community slash pile during the winter months when conditions
allow. These professionals possess the proper qualifications,
experience, resources, and manpower required to safely handle
a project of this complexity.
-
Chipping
Chipping is the most expensive method of slash disposal. A machine
reduces the branches to chips of various sizes. These chips
decompose rapidly and represent a very low fire hazard. They
also serve as mulch to hold soil moisture and aid in plant development.
Chips have a pleasant appearance and allow easy movement through
the slash area. Don't allow chips to accumulate more than four
inches deep.
-
Lopping
and Scattering
This is the easiest and cheapest method of slash disposal. It
involves cutting large branches into smaller pieces and scattering
them over an area. However, for most people, this method is
visually unappealing. It is necessary to cut the pieces small
enough so all the slash is within 12 inches of the ground. This
low slash provides less of a negative visual impact and also
doesn't inhibit walking.
-
Piling
and Burning
If no other alternative is available, piling and burning can
be accomplished through careful planning and execution. However,
numerous risks are associated with this option and landowners
should consult their local fire department for specific information
before beginning to burn. Piling and burning is a way to eliminate
a large amount of slash at moderate cost. Slash is piled in
open areas for burning when snow cover is sufficient to prevent
fire spread. The information provided below is only meant to
be a guide for landowners to use when considering whether or
not to burn their slash piles.
Slash
Pile Burning Procedures:
When considering whether to burn a slash pile, a landowner should
ask:
- What do I
want to accomplish?
- What are
my alternatives? (An alternative to slash pile burning would be
to simply haul your slash to the local community slash pile where
it can be burned by professionals with the experience and resources
necessary to burn safely).
- What are
the costs and risks of each option?
- What will
I do if the fire gets away from me?
Before
Burning:
NOTIFY the
County Sheriff's Office of your intention to burn. This helps to
prevent the fire department from needlessly responding to your controlled
burned when neighbors or people passing by see the smoke and call
the fire department.
Ensure there
is no vegetation of any sort nearby that could potentially ignite
from radiant heat or convective heat, i.e. trees, shrubs, or grasses.
Cut a FIREBREAK all around the area to be burned. It must
be to mineral soil, at least 2 feet wide in leaves and short grass,
or at least 5 feet wide through tall grass and brush.
Obtain
a current WEATHER FORECAST. Strong winds are dangerous. They
can quickly increase fire intensity and rate of spread. Embers whipped
up by the wind can start spot fires, and shifting winds can cause
a fire to explode in a new direction. Stop if a strong wind comes
up.
Have the right
EQUIPMENT and enough HELP. Every burn is different,
use your best judgment; you should have hand tools, water and several
people as a minimum. For larger or more difficult jobs, a dozer
or tractor, water truck with a pump, and plenty of hands are highly
recommended.
Begin in a "test
corner" where you can safely observe fire/smoke behavior and
easily put the fire out if it doesn't burn as expected.
Burn in winter
or early spring when the fuel MOISTURE and weather are right.
Leaves, grass and weeds, and small branches should be dry, but the
soil and interiors of large branches should be moist. The slash
pile should be completely surrounded by snow to help prevent escape.
Don't leave
until the fire is cold out (no smoke, no heat) and check the surrounding
area for spot fires.
Use good judgment!
- Start early
to reduce night smoke drainage and avoid the hottest part of the
day.
- Dirty windrows
of slash tend to smoke a long time; piles burn faster.
- Smoke tends
to flow down drainages at night. Be aware of roads and houses
that this might affect.
- Have an emergency
plan if weather suddenly changes; be able to extinguish the fire.
- Mop up the
fire after it has completely burned to be sure there is no potential
for a reburn.
Keep in mind that an escaped fire can result in:
- Citation
for reckless burning
- Both criminal
and civil lawsuits according to Wyoming State Statutes
- Payment of
fines, suppression costs, court costs and damages to adjacent
landowners
- Bad feelings
between you and neighbors
- Lawsuits
from accidents resulting from smoke obscuring a highway or roadway
- Loss of
a valuable management tool
2003 Wyoming Statutes
Title 6
Crimes and Offenses
Chapter 3 - Offenses against Property
ARTICLE 1
ARSON AND RELATED OFFENSES
6-3-103. Arson;
third degree; penalties.
(a) A person
is guilty of third-degree arson if he intentionally starts a fire
or causes an explosion and intentionally, recklessly or with criminal
negligence:
(i) Places another in danger of bodily injury; or
(ii) Destroys or damages any property of another which has a value
of two hundred dollars ($200.00) or more.
(b) Third-degree arson is a felony punishable by imprisonment for
not more than five (5) years, a fine of not more than five thousand
dollars ($5,000.00), or both.
(c) For purposes of this article, "property of another"
means a building, or other property, whether real or personal, in
which any person or entity other than the offender has an interest,
including an insurance or mortgage interest, which the offender
has no authority to defeat or impair, even though the offender may
also have an interest in the building or property.
6-3-105.
Negligently burning woods, prairie or grounds; penalties.
(a) A person
is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more
than six (6) months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty
dollars ($750.00), or both, if he, without permission of the owner
and acting with criminal negligence:
(i) Sets fire to any woods, prairie or grounds or to anything
on any woods, prairie or grounds which is the property of another;
or
(ii) Allows a fire to pass from the owner's woods, prairie or
grounds to the injury or destruction of any property of another.
6-3-106.
Failure to extinguish or contain fire in woods or prairie; penalty.
A person is guilty
of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than seven hundred
fifty dollars ($750.00) if he lights a fire in any woods or on any
prairie and leaves the vicinity of the fire without extinguishing
it or containing it so it does not spread and is not likely to spread
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