Open burning permit requirements updated

Senators gave final approval April 9 to a bill intended to help policymakers better understand the use of prescribed burning in Nebraska.

LB823, introduced by Fremont Sen. Dave Wordekemper, updates the definition of land-management burning to include both controlled burning and prescribed burning and creates definitions for the latter two practices.

The measure requires open burning permits issued by fire chiefs to specify whether land-management burning is to be a prescribed burning or a controlled burning as well as the approximate number of acres to be burned.

Landowners are required to provide the same information when filing an application for a land-management burning permit and a plan for conducting the burning.

The bill passed on a vote of 49-0.