Some Spokane-area residents and businesses might qualify for discount vouchers worth up to $1,000 that would go toward the cost of replacing an old wood stove with a more efficient wood, pellet-burning, or gas appliance.

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency started a limited-time incentive program in January after it received a $150,000 grant from the Washington state Department of Ecology to fund the voucher program. The agency estimates funding can cover 125 to 140 stove change-outs.

The program is aimed at improving air quality within what the agency calls the Spokane County Smoke Control Zone. That zone incorporates the city of Spokane; the U.S. 2 corridor extending north to Owens Road, just south of Deer Park; the Spokane Valley east to the Washington-Idaho border, including Newman Lake and Liberty Lake areas; south of Spokane to Gibbs Road; and west of Spokane to Hayford Road.

To qualify, a home or business must be located within this zone and have an operational non-EPA certified or pre-1995 wood stove—either freestanding or an insert—that's being used as a regular source of heat. Those who meet these criteria can submit an application to Spokane Clean Air, which is offering the program on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Those residents or businesses who receive a voucher also will receive a list of about 17 Spokane-area retailers that accept it, and they will have a six-week window to make a purchase before the voucher expires. The total cost to upgrade and install typically starts in the $2,500 range, the agency says.

The amount of discount that the voucher provides is based on the type of device someone chooses to buy. Some examples include $500 toward a new wood stove device, $700 applied to a pellet-burning appliance, and $1,000 for a gas stove or insert. A person also could receive a $1,000 discount voucher for a mini-split ductless heat pump, which is an Energy Star-qualified system that delivers warm or cool air into different zones in your home, instead of routing it through ducts first.

In addition to the vouchers, some retailers are offering additional in-house and manufacturers' discounts for program participants, the agency says. One voucher is allowed per household.

Wood stove emissions have been associated with increases in respiratory ailments, the agency says in a press release. Soot and smoke pollution is known to cause lung problems and can worsen conditions such as asthma, it adds.

In April, the agency will launch a separate wood stove replacement program for income-qualified residents. A total $60,000 in grant funding will cover 17 to 20 full replacements for those homeowners who meet that program's requirements.

The agency ran a similar incentive program from 2007 through a portion of 2009, using a combination of state and federal grant monies totaling $110,500 used to offset replacement costs for almost 200 stoves. Lisa Woodard, public information officer for the agency, says an additional $52,000 in grant funding during that earlier period also went toward the full replacement costs for 18 households.