In rural areas, when cutting or thinning trees, slash has to be burned by law here in OR. If you pile it up and do not burn it, you are liable for it if it catches fire (for any reason). Where I live now I am just out of the urban burning restricted area. I have to keep the piles small and the burns small, or someone will call it in. Then I have to explain that we are just outside the perimiter, and some cops like to argue otherwise. Same thing happened when my brother capped off some rounds off out back. One cop said it was OK as we are on a large lot and it is rural, the other said we are inside some restricted suburban area. There are also DEQ (state air quality control) burn restrictions. That may end my burning here next year.
Anyway, if I had a chipper here I would use it. But I can get all the chips I want from the Mexicans driving the tree chipper trucks around here. Tons of mulch for the asking. "Por favor?"