In addition to concerns about public health, safety, and local nuisance impacts of smoke, we must also be concerned about environmental effects, such as visibility impairment and regional haze.
In 1999, EPA issued regulations to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas across the Nation. The Regional Haze Rule calls for state and federal agencies to work together to develop and implement air quality protection plans to reduce the pollution that causes visibility impairment. As smoke can be carried by the wind and cause problems hundreds of miles away, prescribed forest fires and agricultural burning are some of the sources of haze covered by the rule.
Information from EPA about Visibility and the Regional Haze Program.
Information from the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) - the purpose of the WRAP is to develop data, tools, and policies needed by states and tribes to improve visibility in parks and wilderness areas across the West.
The Fire Emissions Joint Forum (FEJF) is developing programs and tools for the WRAP relating to fire and its effects on air quality and visibility. |