burning permits for Silvicultural Outdoor Burnimg

The Department of Natural Resources regulates outdoor burning on all forest lands where DNR provides wildfire protection. DNR provides fire protection to 12.7 million acres of undeveloped non-federal forestland across the state.

Your forested property is within DNR protection if you pay a forest fire protection assessment as part of your property tax. If you are unsure, check  your county property tax statement or contact your local DNR region office.


When there is no Burn Ban, Burning on DNR-protected lands may be allowed if:

• You are the landowner of the property where the burning will occur, or you have obtained written permission to burn on the property from the landowner or the landowner’s designated representative, and
• Prohibited materials are not burned, which includes: garbage, dead animals, asphalt, petroleum products, paints, rubber products, plastics, treated wood, metal or any substance other than natural vegetation, which when burned releases toxic emissions, dense smoke, or odors. This also includes yard and garden materials from improved property, and
• The burning will not occur within the boundary of an Urban Growth Area unless the purpose of burning is to improve or maintain fire dependent ecosystems for rare plants or animals, and
• You are not burning debris generated from a land clearing operation, and
• You follow the Rule Burn or Permit Burn (see below).

Burning is allowed without a permit if you                                  For burn piles that do not meet the requirements of a 
follow these rules.                                                                      Rule Burn, a Burn Permit is needed from DNR. DNR does not
                                                                                                    permit burning of debris from land clearing operations.

If any of these rules cannot be met,                                           Submit the appropriate application (below) to your
you will need a Burn Permit from DNR.                                       local DNR region office. 
                                     
                                                                                                    Application – Short Form (Permit Fee is $105.50)
                                                                                                    Use this application if you are requesting a permit to burn:
                                                                                                    • piled forest material, and
                                                                                                    • the piled forest material is generated from an area that is
                                                                                                       ten acres or less in size.

                                                                                                    Application – Long Form 
                                                                                                    (Permit Fee is based on landowner calculated tonnage)
                                                                                                    Use this application if you are requesting a permit to burn:
                                                                                                    • piled forest material generated from an area that is
                                                                                                      greater than ten acres in size, or
                                                                                                    • you plan to conduct a “broadcast burn” or “understory burn”

                                                                                                   Note: A landowner submitting multiple applications within one 
                                                                                                   DNR region may elect to pay one fee based on the combined
                                                                                                   tonnage of all applications when:
                                                                                                      -- the combined tonnage of all applications equals or exceeds
                                                                                                          100 tons, and
                                                                                                      -- the Long Form application is used for each permit request,
                                                                                                          and
                                                                                                      -- applications are submitted and paid for as one packet

                                                                                                    **Additional applications submitted at a later date will require
                                                                                                       a new permit fee.

                                                                                                    Use the following to calculate piled forest debris tonnage:
                                                                                                    Piled Fuels Biomass and Emissions Calculator
                                             
                                                                                                    Burn Permit Fee Schedule (effective February 1, 2012)

Rule Making Information
Below is information about the rule making process that DNR was required to complete.

Final Cost-Benefit Analysis
Small Business Economic Impact Statement
Preproposal Statement of Inquiry Document 
Proposed Rule Making Document 
Rule Making Order Document 
Proposed Rules  
Permanent Rules