Clean Air Methow, a program of Methow Valley Citizens Council (MVCC), is expanding its wood stove exchange program, which will help remove old, smoky woodstoves from homes around Okanogan County, following the successful replacement of nearly 20 wood stoves in the Methow Valley in 2020-21.
Qualified participants in Okanogan County will have their old woodstove removed and replaced with a new efficient wood stove, pellet stove; or gas stove free of charge. Replacing an old wood-burning stove with a new, efficient one can result in greater than a 10-fold reduction in particulate matter released into our air and potentially create cleaner indoor air to breathe, according to MVCC.
The program is funded by a grant from the state Department of Ecology. MVCC is again partnering with Valley Lumber to replace stoves to qualified applicants. To qualify, applicants must own a home located within Winthrop, Twisp, Pateros, Okanogan, Omak, Tonasket or Oroville town limits (renters encouraged to talk to their landlords); have a household income of less than $45,000; provide a valid photo identification and proof of current address and income; and use a non-EPA certified or pre-2000 wood stove or insert as your primary source of heat.
To request an application or for information, contact Mary Yglesia, Woodstove Exchange Coordinator, at (509) 997-0888 extension 4 or email mvcc@mvcitizens.org.
