Agricultural Burning
Current Open Burning Requirements
To address state mandates and continue to improve air quality, the Valley Air District has reached the end of a multi-year tiered phase-out of nearly all agricultural open burning in the San Joaquin Valley. The state-required phase-outs began in 2005 with most field crops, prunings, large orchard removals, and weed abatement activities being prohibited from open burning by 2010. As of January 1, 2025, small orchard removals, vineyard removals, and surface harvested prunings are also prohibited from open burning.
While the completion of these phase-outs marks a monumental reduction in open agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley, there are limited exceptions and other materials for which agricultural burning will continue to be permitted. Listed below are the types of agricultural materials that may continue to be burned with a valid agricultural burn permit. For certain materials, an on-site inspection by a District inspector may be required to determine burn permit eligibility. After a permit is issued, all burning is subject to daily burn authorization through the District’s automated Smoke Management System (SMS).
Effective January 1, 2025, the District may only issue agricultural burn permits for the following agricultural waste materials:
- Prunings: Apple, pear, and quince crops only.
- Orchard Removals: Apple, pear, and quince crops only.
- Rice Straw: The standing, uncut straw in a field after the rice is harvested, or the cut straw left in the field by the harvester. The amount of rice straw that a grower may burn cannot exceed 20% of the total annual acreage of rice farmed. Rice straw does not include residual rice straw left from baling equipment, spot burning in areas where rice stubble and straw have been compacted by harvesting or baling equipment, or rice stubble, the portion of the plant left behind after cutting the rice straw.
- Rice Field Levees: The burning of weeds and vegetation along rice field levees.
- Disease Prevention: An agricultural burn permit may be issued with specific conditions after the county agricultural commissioner has determined that open burning is the only means available for disposing of the diseased materials.
- Ponding and Levee Banks: Excavated embankments and basins used to retain surface water for agricultural irrigation. Does not include basins used for treatment of human or animal grey water and/or sewage, treatment of water from industrial processes, or solely for flood control purposes and/or groundwater recharge. Only the waterside of ponding banks may be burned. Both sides of a levee bank may be permitted for burning.
- Tumbleweeds: Landowners must implement best management practices or reasonable alternatives to open burning. Managing tumbleweed growth may be accomplished by using herbicides, mowing, stabilizing soils, planting competitive species, or a combination of these practices. However, tumbleweeds often accumulate on property from which they did not originate. A burn permit may be issued for burning tumbleweeds once the District has deemed that open burning is the only feasible disposal method for the site and the smoke will not affect sensitive areas or contribute to a nuisance.
- Noxious Weeds: Those species identified by the USDA as being noxious to a crop, such as yellow star thistle and dodder weed. Growers must implement best management practices for controlling noxious weeds in their crops. Many practices or a combination of practices are reasonable alternatives to open burning, however, an agricultural burn permit may be issued if the grower demonstrates to the District that open burning is a best management practice for abating the noxious weed.
- Ditchbanks and Canals: Excavated open waterways used for agricultural irrigation that are maintained by an irrigation district or an agricultural operation. Does not include natural waterways such as rivers and creeks. Feasible alternatives to open burning must first be examined before an agricultural burn permit may be issued.
- Fertilizer and Pesticide Paper Sacks: Alternatives to burning paper sacks include disposal in a landfill or purchasing fertilizers and pesticides in returnable, refillable bulk bags. A burn permit may be issued only if the best management practice for disposing of the paper sacks is by open burning. Burning of burlap sacks, cardboard boxes, or plastic containers is prohibited.
- Diseased Beehives: Includes the wooden box and any hive contents therein.
- Attrition: Includes suckers, dead or broken branches, stumps, trunks, and dead trees from an orchard or vineyard. Attrition materials do not include annual prunings or material resulting from an orchard or vineyard removal.
More information regarding The District's Reports and Recommendations on Agricultural Burning is available here.
Grant Funding Available
The Ag Burn Alternatives Grant Program provides incentives to commercial agricultural operations located within Valley Air District boundaries to chip or shred agricultural material.
