Sugar Field Burning
Pre-harvest cane burning across the Glades sends ash and smoke into Montura — a public health and air quality fight we share with the Sierra Club.
Problem Overview
Every harvest season, sugar cane fields surrounding Lake Okeechobee are set on fire before cutting. The resulting ash ("black snow") and smoke drift across Hendry County and into Montura, affecting air quality, lung health, water tanks, vehicles, and homes. The Sierra Club's Florida Chapter has been leading the fight to end pre-harvest burning and shift to green harvesting, the standard already used in other major cane-growing regions of the world.
Why It Matters
Children, the elderly, and anyone with asthma or heart conditions are most at risk. Green harvesting is proven, available, and used elsewhere — there is no good reason Florida communities should keep breathing this smoke. The more residents who report symptoms and add their voices, the stronger the case for change.
What Residents Can Do
- Read the Sierra Club Florida campaign on sugar field burning
- Report smoke and ash impacts to the Florida Forest Service burn authorization line
- Track burn days at stopsugarfieldburning.org and note symptoms for your household
- Add your name to Sierra Club petitions and sign-on letters
- Bring it up at BOCC meetings — Hendry County residents have a voice
Take Action on This Issue
Want to do more? Sign up for volunteer roles, classes, and meeting alerts, or view the public meeting calendar.
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