The Okanogan Conservation District received funds to provide alternatives to back yard burning to reduce harmful particulate pollution from smoke. This is part of several  pilot project being done this year. Okanogan CD will be doing a free community chipping event November 2nd. Debris will need to be set out before the morning of 2nd. This event is limited to 20 residents within the Pine Forest Community and participants must be registered before October 26th. Debris will be chipped and the chips will be sprayed out onto the participants property or in a pile at resident.  

Amount accepted: For this event the contractor will only chip up to 3 pickup truck loads of material at the end of the driveway or side of the road.

Material accepted: clean, natural, woody debris up to 15 inches in diameter and up to 10 feet in length. 

DO NOT SET OUT: lumber or construction materials, metal, seeds or cones, Russian olive, Chinese elm or other toxic material or weeds, bags of leaves or pine needles.

• Please stack materials neatly, with all butt ends facing the same direction.  Stack material at the end of your driveway or side of road. Do not impede sidewalks and roadways. 
• Cut bitterbrush, sage, or other open-branching plants into pieces that can feed into the chipper more easily. If material is not stacked correctly or is not clean woody debris it may not get chipped by contractor. 
• The Contractor will chip the material   November 2nd depending on scheduling and weather conditions. Participants do not have to be at home when the chipping is happening. 

Once registered, participants will be emailed detailed instructions.

Funding for this event is provided  by a Pollution Prevention grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information contact:

Mindy Untalan mindy@okanogancd.org or 509-429-3453 or 509-422-0855 ext. 109