Unusual times call for unusual measures by everyone

There’s little doubt that farming and ranching are the heart and soul of Ellsworth County and the majority of its rural neighbors. Even here, where we are fortunate to have a diverse economic base, moods rise and fall with the fortunes of those responsible for the production of our food.

Still, as sympathetic as we are to the political and environmental challenges of production agriculture, hard decisions are sometimes necessary.

This past week was one of those times.

At the urging of Kerianne Ehrlich, supervisor of the Ellsworth County Health Department, Ellsworth County commissioners voted at their April 6 meeting to enact a countywide burn ban. About 24 hours later, after telephone calls from upset farmers and ranchers, they rescinded the ban.

“It’s something we’ve done for years to get control of the pastures and all that,” commissioner Steve Dlabal of Wilson said in defense of the most recent action.

Unfortunately, these are anything but normal times.

We don’t know anyone whose life has not been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are closed and the responsibility for day-to-day education rests with students and their parents. These same parents may or may not have jobs in the wake of a stayat-home order issued in March by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Medical personnel, grocery store clerks and others who work with the public suddenly find themselves on the front lines of a war with an enemy they can’t see, is contagious and can turn deadly with little warning. Businesses are closed and some might not reopen.

In a news release, representatives from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Agriculture “strongly” encouraged those who burn fields and pastures to “reduce the number of acres they intend to burn this spring.”

Mike Beam, Kansas secretary of agriculture, said the request was not an indictment of the practice of burning, which he called a “valuable land management tool,” but rather concern with particulate matter put into the air by burning and its effect on the upper and lower respiratory systems.

Ehrlich told commissioners the smoke caused from burning would increase the symptoms for people with asthma and allergies.

“We’re not going to know if we’re dealing with a COVID-19 situation, an allergy situation, an asthma situation,” she said. “Medically, we’re not going to know what we’re dealing with. We already don’t know.”

For the most part, Ellsworth County has done a remarkable job adjusting almost overnight to the demands of this challenging time. Farmers and ranchers can take it a step further.

Consider less burning this year. Or voluntarily hold off until next year, when we all hope it won’t be an issue.

Be a good neighbor. That’s something that doesn’t need commission action.