As many of you are aware, on July 16,2001 a new statute (RSA 125-N) was signed into New Hampshire law that will prohibit the "residential burning of combustible domestic waste." This ban on "backyard burning" takes effect January 1, 2003. The law gives the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) primary responsibility for enforcing the ban, and requires DES, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Natural Resources and Economic Development (DRED), to educate and notify the public regarding this ban.

As a step in the public notification process, DES has prepared a fact sheet, "What You Should Know about Backyard Trash Burning - A Guide for New Hampshire Homeowners." This fact sheet (view) will be made available to the state's Forest Fire Wardens as a hand out to those residents applying for burn barrel permits this year. Its purpose is to explain the ban, and give those who currently use burn barrel ample time to make other arrangements for trash disposal before the ban takes effect. Since DES will be primarily  responsible for enforcement of the ban, telephone and pager numbers of DES enforcement personnel we be provided to the Forest Fire Wardens should there be any enforcement issues or questions. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding this issue, please call us.

Page last updated Thursday, February 03, 2011

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