Don’t Tread On The Grass Growers

North Idaho grass growers proved again this week that they’re trying their hardest to make the best of a bad situation., The farmers voluntarily stopped burning their fields Tuesday afternoon when the air pollution exceeded Idaho Division of Environmental Quality limits.

Experts say the smoke could have been a lot worse that day if they hadn’t. Even Clean Air Coalition president Art Long conceded that the cease fire proved growers were serious about the new Inland Northwest Field Burning Summit agreement - that day.

Long’s organization, however, still isn’t happy with the annual practice of field burning and may sue to stop it.

That’s too bad.

For the past five years, Inland Northwest growers voluntarily have policed themselves and bargained in good faith with environmental agencies and opponents, like Long’s coalition, the American Lung Association and the tourism industry. They’ve tried to be good neighbors and important employers while preserving a way of life most of us appreciate 50 weeks of the year.

Though not required to do so by law, the farmers have limited burning to about two weeks in a 45-day period in August and September; banned it on weekends and holidays; and, for the first time, established fines for violators.

If that’s not enough, die-hard opponents can take heart that the industry won’t be around much longer.

The lush grass-seed fields of the Rathdrum Prairie and Spokane County are doomed to become so many more square miles of suburbia. Economics dictate that. Then, we’ll be stuck with year-round pollution from wood-burning stoves, automobile emissions, fertilizers and storm-water runoff - not to mention congestion in roads and schools, and the loss of open space.

Prominent farmers, like the Schneidmillers of Post Falls and George Thayer of Rathdrum, already have subdivided some of their holdings for homes and industrial development. The Schneidmillers are transforming their grass fields surrounding Lake City High in Coeur d’Alene into a massive subdivision of 2,400 houses.

Now, the grass fields provide us with a giant filter that protects the region’s sole-source aquifer and a cooling system equal per acre to a 70-ton air conditioner.

Someday, those natural benefits and the fields will be gone - along with the smoke.

Unfortunately.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board