RULE 4103 OPEN BURNING (Adopted June 18, 1992; Amended December 17, 1992; 

Amended December 16, 1993; Amended June 21, 2001; Amended September 16, 

2004; Amended May19, 2005; Amended May 17, 2007; Amended April 15, 2010 

- Not effective until June 1, 2010) 

1.0 Purpose 

The purpose of this rule is to permit, regulate, and coordinate the use of open burning 

while minimizing smoke impacts on the public. 

2.0 Applicability 

This rule applies to open burning conducted in the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, with the 

exception of prescribed burning and hazard reduction burning as defined in Rule 4106 

(Prescribed Burning and Hazard Reduction Burning). 

3.0 Definitions 

3.1 Agricultural Burning: 

3.1.1 The open burning of vegetative materials produced wholly from 

agricultural operations. 

3.1.2 The burning of grass and weeds in fence rows, ditch banks, and berms 

in non-tillage orchard operations and fields being prepared for 

cultivation. 

3.1.3 The burning of materials not produced wholly from agricultural 

operations but which are essential to agricultural operations, except as 

prohibited by Section 5.5.7 of this rule. Examples are paper trays for 

drying raisins, paper hot caps, untreated grape stakes, and pesticide 

and fertilizer sacks burned in the field where they are emptied. 

3.2 Agricultural Operations: the growing and harvesting of crops or the raising of fowl 

or animals, for the primary purpose of earning a living, or of conducting 

agricultural research or instruction by an educational institution. 

3.3 Agricultural Waste: any vegetative materials produced wholly from agricultural 

operations, the operation or maintenance of a system for the delivery of water in 

agricultural operations, or materials described in Section 3.1.3. 

3.4 Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO): the Air Pollution Control Officer of the San 

Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, as defined in Rule 1020 

(Definitions). 

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3.5 Air Quality: the characteristics of the ambient air as indicated by concentrations of 

the six criteria air pollutants for which Federal and State standards have been 

established pursuant to section 108 and 109 of the Federal Clean Air Act [i.e., 

particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and 

lead], by State air quality standards, and by visibility in mandatory Federal Class I 

areas, as specified pursuant to section 169A of the Federal Clean Air Act. 

3.6 Allocation System: a system in the smoke management program that limits the 

amounts, timing, and locations of burning in order to minimize smoke impacts. 

3.7 Ambient Air: that portion of the atmosphere, external to buildings, to which the 

general public has access. 

3.8 Ambient Air Quality Standards: the national ambient air quality standards 

(NAAQS) promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

3.9 Approved Ignition Devices: those instruments or materials that will ignite 

agricultural waste and other materials without the production of black smoke by the 

ignition device. This would include such devices as liquid petroleum gas, butane, 

propane, or diesel oil burners and flares where the device produces a flame and the 

flame is then used for ignition, or other devices approved by the Air Pollution 

Control Officer (APCO). 

3.10 ARB or State Board: the California Air Resources Board. 

3.11 Board: the Governing Board of the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution 

Control District, as defined in Rule 1020 (Definitions). 

3.12 Campfire: an attended recreational fire at a designated campground or in a 

Wildland, as defined in Rule 4106 (Prescribed Burning and Hazard Reduction 

Burning), when approved by the appropriate land manager. A campfire shall 

not be larger than three feet in diameter and the fuel must be clean, dry wood 

with no other debris, trash, garbage or refuse. 

 

3.13 Contraband: any illegal material or prohibited good that has been confiscated 

within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin by a law enforcement agency or fire 

department, including but not limited to explosives, pyrotechnics, and illegal 

drugs. 

3.14 EPA: the United States Environmental Protection Agency or any person 

designated to act on its behalf. 

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3.15 Field Crops: includes alfalfa, asparagus, barley stubble, beans, corn, cotton, 

flower straw, hay, lemon grass, oat stubble, pea vines, peanuts, rice stubble, 

safflower, sugar cane, vegetable crops, and wheat stubble, and other field crops, 

as determined by the State Board. 

3.16 Fire Hazard: a situation in which a fire could present a threat to the health and/or 

safety of a person or persons but which does not impose imminent fire danger. 

3.17 Fire Protection Agency: any agency with the responsibility and authority to protect 

people, property, and the environment from fire, and having jurisdiction within the 

San Joaquin Valley Air Basin. 

3.18 Imminent and Substantial Economic Loss: the loss of a planting season or the 

irreparable harm of a crop. 

 

3.19 Imminent Fire Hazard: a hazard that presents imminent danger to the health and/or 

safety of a person or persons and for which direct abatement by fire is necessary. 

3.20 Metropolitan Area: the sphere of influence of an incorporated city as defined by 

the Local Agency Formation Commission. 

3.21 No-Burn Day: any day on which agricultural burning is prohibited by the ARB, 

the District, or by a public fire protection agency for purposes of fire control or 

prevention. 

3.22 Noxious Weeds: as defined in Section 403 of the Plant Protection Act (7 USC 

7702). 

3.23 Open Burning or Open Outdoor Fire: the combustion of any combustible refuse or 

other material of any type outdoors in the open air, not in any enclosure, where the 

products of combustion are not directed through a flue. For the purposes of this 

rule, prescribed burning and hazard reduction burning are not considered to be 

open burning. 

3.24 Orchard Removal Matter: agricultural waste generated by the removal of 

orchards. This includes leaves, branches, trunks, roots, stumps and untreated 

branch support sticks. 

3.25 Orchard Removals: includes, but is not limited to orchard removal matter, stumps, 

and untreated sticks. 

3.26 Other Materials: includes, but is not limited to brooder paper, deceased goats, and 

diseased bee hives. 

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3.27 Other Weeds and Maintenance: includes, but is not limited to, ditch bank work, 

canal bank work, dodder weed, star thistle, tumbleweed, noxious weeds, pesticide 

sacks, and fertilizer sacks burned in the fields where they are emptied. 

3.28 Permit: as used herein refers to a District Open Burn Permit. 

 3.29 Prunings: the vegetative material produced from the regularly scheduled 

removal of any portion of the agricultural crop for the purpose of achieving a 

desired size, shape, or to promote plant growth for improved cultivation, 

harvesting, and the maintenance of crop health. The regularly scheduled 

removal does not include the incidental cuttings of dead or broken branches, 

water-sprouts or suckers, and other damaged crops. For the purpose of this 

rule, prunings shall refer to prunings from apple crops, apricot crops, avocado 

crops, bushberry crops, cherry crops, Christmas trees, citrus crops, date crops, 

eucalyptus crops, fig crops, kiwi crops, nectarine crops, nursery prunings, olive 

crops, pasture or corral trees, peach crops, pear crops, persimmon crops, 

pistachio crops, plum crops, pluot crops, pomegranate crops, prune crops, 

quince crops, rose crops, and other prunings, as determined by the State Board. 

3.30 Religious Ceremonial Fires: any fires conducted to fulfill the doctrinal 

requirements of an organized religion. 

3.31 Residual Rice Stubble: rice stubble remaining on the field that can not be 

removed completely by the bailing equipment. 

3.32 Single Location: a property where burning is conducted, which is under the 

same or common ownership or operation, and located on one (1) or more 

parcels. For burn permit and fire reporting purposes, properties separated by 

rivers, streams, or publicly owned roadways and canals are considered separate 

locations. 

3.33 Smoke Management Program: a District program that utilizes a daily allocation 

system for the purpose of limiting the amounts, timing, and locations of open 

burning to minimize smoke impacts. The smoke management program 

considers several factors including air quality, meteorological conditions 

expected during burning, locations of smoke sensitive areas, locations of 

materials to be burned, and types and amounts of materials to be burned. 

3.34 Smoke Sensitive Areas: are populated areas and other areas where the District 

determines that smoke and air pollutants can adversely affect public health or 

welfare. Such areas can include, but are not limited to, towns and villages, 

campgrounds, trails, populated recreational areas, hospitals, nursing homes, 

schools, roads, airports, public events, shopping centers and mandatory Class 1 

areas. 

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3.35 Spot Burning: burning of rice stubble in areas of the field where rice stubble 

has been compacted or flattened by the harvesting or baling equipment tracks. 

3.36 Surface Harvested Prunings: the vegetative material produced from the 

regularly scheduled removal of any portion of the agricultural crop for the 

purpose of achieving a desired size, shape, or to promote plant growth for 

improved cultivation, harvesting, and the maintenance of crop health. The 

regularly scheduled removal does not include the incidental cuttings of dead or 

broken branches, water-sprouts or suckers, and other damaged crops. For the 

purpose of this rule, surface harvested prunings includes, but is not limited to, 

almond prunings, walnut prunings, pecan prunings, grape vines, and vineyard 

materials. 

3.37 Toxic Substances: substances identified by the manufacturer on the package or 

in a material safety data sheet as posing health hazards. 

3.38 Vineyard Removal Materials: agricultural waste generated by the removal of 

vineyards. This includes grape vines, grape canes, trunks, roots, untreated 

grapestakes, and wires, as well as similar materials from kiwi vineyards. 

3.39 Vineyard Materials: includes, but is not limited to, grape canes and raisin trays. 

3.40 Weed Abatement: the reduction or removal of noxious weeds and grasses. Weed 

abatement includes, but is not limited to, berms, Bermuda grass, fence rows, grass, 

pasture, and ponding or levee banks. 

4.0 Exemptions 

4.1 The requirements of this rule shall not apply to: 

4.1.1 Open outdoor fires used solely for the purpose of cooking food for human 

consumption, campfires, and religious ceremonial fires, where the 

combustible material is clean, dry wood or charcoal. 

4.1.2 The prevention of an imminent fire hazard declared by a fire agency 

that cannot be abated by any other means. 

4.1.3 The setting of backfires necessary to save life, and/or in the defense of 

assets at risk pursuant to Section 4426 of the Public Resources Code. 

4.1.4 The burning, in a respectful and dignified manner, of an unserviceable 

American Flag that is no longer fit for display. 

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4.1.5 The burning of agricultural waste or crops pursuant to a lawful 

abatement order issued by the local county agricultural commissioner 

as described in Section 5403 and 5404 of the California Food and 

Agricultural Code. 

4.2 The following activity is exempt from rule requirements, but may only be 

conducted pursuant to Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) written authorization: 

4.2.1 A fire set by or authorized by any public officer authorized in the 

performance of his official duty to engage in fire protection activities 

provided that a burn plan, as described in Section 6.2.1, has been 

previously submitted to and approved by the APCO and such a fire is 

necessary for the instruction of employees in fire fighting methods. 

4.3 The following activities are exempt from the no-burn day restrictions of Section 

6.1.8, subject to APCO authorization and permit requirements. These activities 

are not exempt from the provisions of Sections 5.1 through 5.5: 

4.3.1 The burning of empty sacks which contained pesticides or other toxic 

substances, provided that the sacks are within the definition of 

agricultural burning in Section 3.1.3. 

4.3.2 The burning of paper raisin trays. 

4.3.3 Other agricultural burning, if the denial of such burning would threaten 

imminent and substantial economic loss, and which is conducted 

pursuant to the following provisions: 

4.3.3.1 The APCO may only authorize such burning when 

downwind metropolitan areas are forecast by the District to 

achieve the ambient air quality standards and/or a fire 

agency has not declared a no-burn day due to safety issues. 

4.3.3.2 The District shall limit the amount of acreage that can be 

burned on any one no-burn day in any one county to 200 

acres. 

4.3.3.3 The granting of an exemption does not exempt the applicant 

from any other District or fire control regulations. 

4.3.3.4 Within fifteen (15) days of the granting of an exemption, the 

applicant shall return a signed application form that provides 

the reasons for requesting the exemption and shall pay the 

required District fee for said exemption. 

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4.3.4 The burning of contraband is exempt from the no-burn day restrictions 

of Section 6.1.8, but may only be conducted pursuant to APCO written 

authorization and the preparation of a burn plan as described in Section 

6.2.2. Contraband burning is subject to the provisions of Section 5.7. 

5.0 Requirements 

5.1 Except as otherwise provided in this rule, no person shall set, permit, or use an 

open outdoor fire for the purpose of disposal or burning of petroleum wastes; 

demolition or construction debris; residential rubbish; garbage or vegetation; tires; 

tar; trees; woodwaste; or other combustible or flammable solid, liquid or gaseous 

waste; or for metal salvage or burning of motor vehicle bodies. 

5.2 The APCO shall allocate burning based on the predicted meteorological 

conditions and whether the total tonnage to be emitted would allow the volume 

of smoke and other contaminants to cause a public nuisance, impact smoke 

sensitive areas, or create or contribute to an exceedance of an ambient air 

quality standard. 

5.3 The APCO shall restrict the time of day when burns are ignited and conducted, as 

necessary. 

5.4 No open burning shall be permitted that will create a nuisance as defined in 

Section 41700 of the California Health and Safety Code. 

5.5 Agricultural Burning 

The following conditions are in addition to those requirements specified in 

Sections 5.1 through 5.4: 

5.5.1 No permit shall be issued for the burning of the following categories of 

agricultural waste, except for crops covered by Section 5.5.2: 

5.5.1.1 Field Crops, 

5.5.1.2 Prunings, 

5.5.1.3 Weed Abatement, except for categories covered by Section 

5.5.3, 

5.5.1.4 Orchard Removals, 

5.5.1.5 Vineyard Removal Materials, 

5.5.1.6 Surface Harvested Prunings, and 

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5.5.1.7 Other Materials. 

5.5.2 The District may postpone the prohibitions in Section 5.5.1 and 

may issue permits for the burning of any agricultural waste, if all 

of the following criteria are met: 

5.5.2.1 The Board determines that there is no economically 

feasible alternative means of eliminating the waste. 

 5.5.2.2 The Board determines that there is no long-term federal 

or state funding commitment for the continued 

operation of biomass facilities in the San Joaquin 

Valley or development of alternatives to burning. 

 5.5.2.3 The Board determines that the continued issuance of 

permits for that specific category or crop will not 

cause, or substantially contribute to, a violation of an 

applicable federal ambient air quality standard. 

 5.5.2.4 The California Air Resources Board concurs with the 

Board’s determinations pursuant to this section. 

5.5.3 Owner/operators shall use at least one of the Best Management Practices 

for the control of other weeds and maintenance listed in Attachment 1, or 

other practices as approved by the APCO, for the control of star thistle, 

dodder weeds, tumble weeds, noxious weeds, and weeds located along 

ditch banks or canal banks, and the disposal of pesticide sacks or fertilizer 

sacks. The APCO shall not approve any alternative practice unless it is 

demonstrated that the alternative is at least as effective in controlling 

emissions as the listed practices. 

5.5.4 Agricultural waste shall not be burned unless it is arranged or loosely 

stacked in such a manner as to promote drying and insure combustion 

with a minimum of smoke production. 

5.5.5 Agricultural waste to be burned shall be ignited only with an approved 

ignition device. 

5.5.6 Agricultural waste shall not be burned unless it is free of excessive 

dirt, soil, and visible surface moisture. 

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5.5.7 Agricultural waste does not include and shall not be burned unless it is 

free of such items as plastic, rubber, ornamental or landscape 

vegetation, shop wastes, construction and demolition material, 

garbage, oil filters, tires, tar paper, broken boxes, pallets, sweatboxes, 

packaging material, packing boxes or any other material produced in 

the packing or processing of agricultural products, and pesticide and 

fertilizer containers (except sacks burned in the field where they were 

emptied). 

5.5.8 Orchard or vineyard removal waste, or any other material, 

generated as a result of land use conversion from agricultural to 

nonagricultural purposes shall not be burned. 

5.5.9 Agricultural waste shall not be burned unless it has been allowed to dry 

for the following minimum time periods: 

Rice Straw See Section 5.5.14.4 

Prunings and Small Branches Three (3) Weeks 

Large Branches Six (6) Weeks 

5.5.10 Agricultural burning shall be monitored and attended as necessary to 

prevent smoldering. 

5.5.11 No agricultural waste shall be burned except during daylight hours. 

5.5.12 No agricultural waste shall be added to an existing fire after 5:00 p.m. 

5.5.13 All burning shall be ignited as rapidly as practicable within 

applicable fire control restrictions. 

5.5.14 Field crop burning: 

 

 The requirements of Section 5.5.14 do not apply to vines and tree pruning 

burning. 

5.5.14.1 No field crop burning shall commence before 10:00 a.m., or 

after 2:00 p.m., of any day, unless local conditions indicate 

that other hours are appropriate. 

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5.5.14.2 Rice, barley, oat, and wheat straw shall be ignited only by 

strip firing into-the-wind or by backfiring, except under a 

special permit issued by the District when and where extreme 

fire hazards are declared by the public fire protection agency 

to exist, or where crops are determined by the District not to 

lend themselves to these techniques. 

5.5.14.3 All rice harvesting shall employ a mechanical straw spreader 

to ensure even distribution of the straw with the exception that 

rice straw may be left in rows, provided it meets drying time 

criteria, as specified in Section 5.5.14.4 prior to a burn. Rice 

straw may also be left standing, provided it is dried and meets 

the crackle test criteria described in Section 5.5.14.5. 

5.5.14.4 After harvesting, no rice straw shall be burned prior to the 

following drying periods: 

5.5.14.4.1 Spread rice straw: three (3) days; or 

5.5.14.4.2 Rowed rice straw: ten (10) days. 

5.5.14.4.3 Sections 5.5.14.4.1 and 5.5.14.4.2 shall not 

apply if the rice straw makes an audible crackle 

when tested just prior to burning with the test 

method described in Section 5.5.14.5. 

5.5.14.5 When checking the field for moisture, a composite sample of 

straw from under the mat, in the center of the mat, and from 

different areas of the field shall be taken to insure a 

representative sample. A handful of rice straw from each area 

will give a good indication. Rice straw is dry enough to burn 

if a handful of straw selected as described above crackles 

when it is bent sharply. 

5.5.14.6 After a rain exceeding fifteen hundredths (0.15) inch, 

notwithstanding Section 5.5.14.3, rice straw shall not be 

burned unless the straw makes an audible crackle when tested 

just prior to burning with the test method described in Section 

5.5.14.5. 

5.5.14.7 The APCO may require additional conditions based on the 

condition of the materials to be burned. 

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5.6 Ditch Bank and Levee Maintenance 

The following conditions are in addition to those requirements specified in 

Sections 5.1 through 5.4 for burning on-site grown vegetative material for rightof-way clearing, levee, and ditch bank maintenance by a public entity or utility: 

5.6.1 Trash and debris must be removed prior to burning. 

5.6.2 The material has been prepared by stacking, drying, or other methods 

to promote combustion as specified by the District. 

5.7 Contraband Materials 

The following conditions are in addition to those requirements specified in 

Sections 5.1 through 5.4 for the disposal of contraband materials by burning: 

5.7.1 No contraband confiscated outside the District may be transported into 

the District for disposal by burning. Only contraband confiscated 

within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin boundaries may be disposed of 

by burning. 

5.7.2 Prior to the burn, a written notification of the planned burn must 

be submitted to the APCO pursuant to Section 6.2.2 of the rule. 

5.7.3 Fires shall only be set or allowed by a peace officer or public fire 

official in the performance of official duty. 

5.7.4 To the extent possible, materials must be burned in areas and in 

conditions limiting the possibility of smoke impacts on nearby 

neighbors and/or other smoke sensitive areas. 

5.8 Russian Thistle (Salsola Kali) (tumbleweeds) 

A District Permit is required for the burning of tumbleweeds. The Permit shall be 

issued in accordance with Sections 5.8.1, 5.8.2, and 6.1 and is only valid when the 

Permit applicant has received a burn authorization from the APCO that will allow 

burning on a particular day. 

5.8.1 The burn site must be maintained in a fire safe condition according to the 

local fire protection agency. 

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5.8.2 The smoke and air contaminants shall not impact smoke sensitive 

areas, cause or contribute to a nuisance pursuant to Rule 4102 

(Nuisance), or create or contribute to an exceedance of an ambient air 

quality standard. The APCO reserves the right to deny a Permit 

request if it might create a nuisance. 

5.9 Diseased Materials 

A conditional burning permit is required for fires set for the purpose of disease 

or pest prevention. A conditional burning permit shall authorize the burning of 

only the identified diseased crop, animal, fowl, pest or infected material. 

5.9.1 A conditional burning permit will be issued by the APCO, if all of the 

following criteria are met: 

5.9.1.1 The material to be burned is specifically described in the 

conditional burning permit. 

5.9.1.2 The applicant has not been cited for a violation of burning 

rules or regulations in the past 3 years, unless the violation 

was of a de minimis nature, as determined by the APCO 

and the county agricultural commissioner, and 

5.9.1.3 The county agricultural commissioner has determined all of 

the following: 

5.9.1.3.1 There is no economically feasible alternative 

means of eliminating the disease or pest other 

than burning, and 

5.9.1.3.2 There is the presence of a disease or pest that 

will cause a substantial, quantifiable reduction 

in yield or poses a threat to the health of 

adjacent vines, trees, or plants in the field 

proposed to be burned, during the current or 

next growing season, or there is the presence 

of a disease or pest that will cause a 

substantial, quantifiable reduction in 

production of animals or fowl. 

5.9.2 The holder of a conditional burning permit may not transfer, sell or trade 

the burning permit to any other individual. 

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6.0 Administrative Requirements 

6.1 Open Burn Permits 

6.1.1 No person shall knowingly set or permit open burning unless the 

person has a valid Permit issued by the APCO and/or the designated 

agency having jurisdiction in the area where the open burning will take 

place. 

6.1.2 A Permit applicant shall provide information as requested by the 

APCO and or designated agency. No Permit or authorization shall be 

deemed valid unless the applicant has provided the required 

information. 

6.1.3 A Permit shall be valid only on the lands specified on the Permit. 

6.1.4 No material shall be burned unless it is clearly described and quantified 

as material to be burned on a valid Permit. 

6.1.5 Applications to burn orchard or vineyard removal waste must be 

reviewed and shall not be granted if the materials were generated in the 

process of land use conversion to nonagricultural purposes. 

6.1.6 No burning shall be conducted pursuant to such a Permit without prior 

authorization for burning on a specified day from the District. 

6.1.7 No burning shall be conducted contrary to the conditions specified on 

the Permit. 

6.1.8 Except for burning conducted pursuant to Section 4.3, a permit shall 

only be valid on those days not designated as no-burn days and the 

APCO has authorized the burning as being within a particular day’s 

burn system allocation for the region in which burn site is located. 

6.1.9 Any Permit issued by a designated agency shall be subject to the rules 

and regulations of the District. 

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6.2 Burn Plans for Fire 

6.2.1 Fire Suppression Training 

The lead fire agency planning to conduct fire suppression training must 

submit a burn plan to the APCO for approval a minimum of 15 days prior 

to the date of the proposed burn. A burn plan is not required for training 

conducted at stationary fire training structures located at fire training 

facilities when used for the primary purpose of conducting fire training. 

The burn plan shall address the following: 

 6.2.1.1 The location of the fire training. 

 6.2.1.2 The fire agencies involved with the training, the number of 

personnel participating with the training, the name(s) and 

title(s) of personnel who are responsible for the training, 

and the approximate date the training will occur, including 

expected burn starting and ending times. 

 6.2.1.3 If a structure is involved with the fire training, the burn plan 

shall include an assessment for the presence and removal of 

asbestos containing materials within the structure(s), subject 

to the requirements of Rule 4002 and the National Emission 

Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (Subpart M, Part 

61, Chapter 1, Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations). 

 6.2.1.4 Proposed contingencies to prevent a nuisance, per Rule 

4102 (Nuisance). 

6.2.2 Contraband 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 5.7, a written notification from 

the law enforcement agency or fire agency conducting the burn shall be 

submitted to the APCO for approval a minimum of 15 days prior to the 

planned burn. In special circumstances, the APCO may waive the 15-

day notice requirement. The notification shall provide the following 

information: 

6.2.2.1 A description of the contraband, including its origin and the 

amount of material that will be destroyed by fire. 

6.2.2.2 The date and location of the burn. 

6.2.2.3 A description of alternative disposal methods other than 

burning and an explanation of why the contraband must be 

destroyed by the use of fire. 

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6.2.2.4 The law enforcement agency and/or fire protection agency 

involved with the burn. 

6.3 The APCO shall prepare the “Staff Report and Recommendations on 

Agricultural Burning” document (Report) for any Board determination made 

pursuant to Section 5.5.2 and in accordance with the following: 

6.3.1 The Report shall be presented to the Board for review and approval. 

Board-approved Report shall be submitted to ARB and EPA for 

inclusion into the State Implementation Plan. 

6.3.2 The APCO shall review and update, as appropriate, the Report at least 

once every five (5) years. Updated Reports shall be approved 

according to Section 6.3.1. 

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ATTACHMENT 1 

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 

FOR THE CONTROL OF OTHER WEEDS AND MAINTENANCE 

Star Thistle, Dodder Weeds, Tumbleweeds, Noxious Weeds and 

Other Weeds Affecting Surface Waterways 

1. Use a planting-to-moisture technique that destroys weeds by cultivation then allow the soil 

to partially dry and plant large seeded crops in the moist soil below the dried soil zone. 

2. Use of a buried drip irrigation system to minimize moisture that is available to weed seeds 

germinating at the surface level. 

3. Reduce the amount of weeds that produce seed by performing regular weed control during 

the growing and off-season. 

4. Use corn gluten as a pre-emergence material to suppress weeds as they germinate. 

5. Apply conventional chemical herbicides or non-conventional herbicides such as Citric 

Acid, Vinegar, or Sodium Nitrate. 

6. The use of an anaerobic manure digester to reduce weed seeds in composted materials. 

7. Apply hot foam to kill weeds with the heat released from the foam, and allow the foam to 

dissipate after it has been applied. 

8. Select crops that out-compete weeds for moisture and soil nutrients. 

9. Apply mulching material around crops to block sunlight, which prevents weed 

germination and growth. 

10. Use of animals or fowls to eat weeds. This technique is most effective in range or noncrop areas. 

11. Soil solarization covering utilizes plastic sheeting placed on beds during the summer to 

trap solar energy generating heat that destroys the emerging weeds. 

12. Apply a flame to wilt (desiccate) and or remove the desiccated vegetation (sanitation). 

The application of the flame is limited such that removal of the flame does not result in 

continued ignition of the vegetation. 

13. Mechanically remove weeds by disking and tilling. The mechanical removal up-roots or 

buries the weeds. 

14. Open burning in accordance with the requirements of Rule 4103 (Open Burning) 

Other Maintenance (Pesticide Sacks, Fertilizers Sacks) 

15. Dispose of the pesticide/fertilizer sacks into a landfill. 

16. Purchase pesticide/fertilizer sold in returnable, refillable bulk bags. 

17. Open burning in accordance with the requirements of Rule 4103 (Open Burning) 

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