Editor:
   I appreciated the March 25 article âAuthority Mulls Chipper Versus Burnerâ (Rio Grande SUN page A1).
   We have a great opportunity to move forward with a chipper. No air or waste pollution is created with a chipper. There is not a $50,000 annual expense for hauling off the ash. The wood chips are very useful for landscaping and gardening because they hold moisture and are attractive. They can also be used for erosion control.
   As members of the Velarde/Alcalde Firewise Community, our mission is to educate our residents about ways to keep our homes safe in the event of a wildfire. One of the most important activities is to remove shrubs, trees and weeds that are near any structures and to leave space between trees and shrubs that are farther out. This can produce a huge amount of green and brown waste. Right now the burner is unable to handle this in a timely manner. A chipper is much faster and more efficient.