WDFW put on legal to the Goveror

[bbarnes]

April 12, 2013
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Dear Governor Inslee:
We are requesting an investigation of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for the follow:
1. Creating a Potential Health and Safety Risks to Citizens of the State, by allowing them to hunt sick animals.
2. The WDFW, created a violation of the Public Trust, by not disclosing the condition of the elk herds in effected Game Management Units. (GMU’s) In addition, not including this information in their Yearly Trend and Status Report to the Governor, or to the Public in the Washington Big Game Pamphlet.
3. In my opinion they are guilty of “Gross Negligence” by,
a. Promoting the sale hunting licenses and special permits, allowing the harvesting of sick animals, with no prior public disclosing of the elks condition, or the existence of the hoof rot disease, or any information concerning the human consumption of these infected animals. This could have been done thru the Washington 2012 Big Game Hunting Pamphlet.
b. Profiting from the sales of licenses and special permits to hunt in GMU’s known to have 55% Hoof Rot infected animals.
4. Wasting of Big Game animals, including but not limited Elk and Big Horn Sheep.
5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.
6. By not implementing a treatment or containment procedure when first detected, allowing the spread of hoof rot in Washington’s State to reach a pandemic proportion, covering over 11 Counties and 23 GMU’s.
Myself, my organization and others have made numerous requests for someone in the agency to address these concerns. We have spent many hours of our volunteer’s time in attending meetings, phone calls and emails with no reasonable solution. Resulting in no implemented of any containment or treatment of Hoof Rot in our States wild Elk Herd. Additionally, we feel the lack of action concerning the elk herd, big horn sheep and other big game is a gross mismanagement of our states precious wildlife resources. Our concerns and efforts have fallen on deaf ears. We feel this is a dereliction of duty and violation of their oath of office as managers of the States Wildlife Resources. For this reason we are requesting for the resignation and or removal of the following individuals who we feel are directly responsible for creating and contributing to the above crisis:
Miranda Wecker, Chair of the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife Commission
Phil Anderson, Director of Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Dave Ware, Game Division Manager for Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Sandra Jonkers, Wildlife Program Manager for Region 5, Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
The Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife is no closer to solving this pandemic of hoof rot and the spread of this disease than they were 18 years ago. It began in one game management unit and has now spread to 11 counties and 20 game management units. We are additionally requesting you bring in the assistance of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife and outside Biologists to implement an effective strategy for containment and treatment of our valuable state resource. The Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife Commission should do this before the 2013 game regulations are approved.
We appreciate you making this a Top Priority of your administration. Without action taken this could represent catastrophic liability which will exceed the state liability.
Sincerely,
Bruce Barnes
Democrat 49th District
IBEW Local 48 Electrician
Concerned Washington Resident, Hunter and Founder of Mt. Saint Helen’s Rescue
Barnes.b@comcast.net
360-513-3874
CC: Washington State Senators
Washington State Legislators

[huntnphool]

Just wondering what you suggest? Seems the only solution for WDFW this season would be to close hunting in those GMU's, and we all have seen what happens when anyone suggests changing the status quo.

[bigtex]

5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.

Isn't that also called nature?

[hughjorgan]

There is a lot of wolves in the NE and we all know they only eat the sick and weak 

[Bigshooter]

Very interesting.

[christopheri]

5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.

Isn't that also called nature?

Yes it is nature. Natural selection so to speak. What causes hoof rot? Is the WDFW sure it isn't caused by the chemicals that are sprayed after clearcutting? Or chemicals sprayed as pesticide to combat beetles? If hoof rot is induced by chemicals it wouldn't be a natural occurrence.

[cardboard slayer]

I wounder if getting torn apart and eaten by wolfs causes suffering  if so we need to round up the wolfs and put them on the hot seat

[Curly]

They may want to open up to more cow permits and really get the elk numbers down to try to limit the spread of the rot.?   

Should WDFW have placed hoof rot at a higher priority than they have over the years?  Probably.  But, you know what is said about hindsight.........

Now that the rot has gotten really, really bad, hopefully they have to place it at one of the highest priorities.  I hope they get as many experts out to try to figure this stuff out.

The thing that is really frustrating is the amount of money they are spending on wolves.  Just think if the money they spend on so called management of wolves were to be spent on this hoof rot, maybe they would have gotten somewhere by now.

[brokenvet]

Just wondering what you suggest? Seems the only solution for WDFW this season would be to close hunting in those GMU's, and we all have seen what happens when anyone suggests changing the status quo.

Not only close those areas for this season, but maybe for a few seasons or more; further more increase the hunting license fees for 2013.  Of course someone has to pay for the study of the cause. 

[Special T]

 

[bigtex]

"US Department of Fish and Wildlife"

I assume you mean the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS has NO authority to manage elk in WA unless they are either a) protected under the endangered species act, which they aren't or b) on USFWS lands.

WDFW cant just ask for help from USFWS because they can't figure something out. There must be a federal law which states the management purpose.

[bobcat]

I'm curious why bighorn sheep were included in this?

[bbarnes]

 I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.Also the big horns were put in there to show the above named had mismanaged these animals also.

[bigtex]

I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.

This is outside USFWS management authority. They can't do anything.

[dreamunelk]

How do you know the USFW is not involved or has not been consulted?   WDFW uses the same universities that the USFW uses.  The world of experts and people capable of investigating wildlife diseases is small.

If you look at the information on the issue  on WDFW's web page you should notice the powerpoint presentation.    I am willing to bet the USFW service was there! 

[Boss .300 winmag]

 

[jackelope]

I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.Also the big horns were put in there to show the above named had mismanaged these animals also.

What makes you say the bighorns were mis-managed? Do you know what happened to the sheep? Judging by your reason for including them in your letter, I think you don't know what happened to them.

[JLS]

I appreciate your passion, but you really should have proof read your letter and made it more clear the very specific items you are addressing.  For example, allowing an animal to suffer is inhumane, not inhuman.  In one paragraph you cite 11 counties and 23 GMUs, and later in the letter it's 11 and 20?

You're going to claim animal cruelty for animals dying of natural causes, but yet we kill elk?  How many hunter kills breach the threshold for being inhumane? 

How have elk and bighorn sheep been wasted?  Any specific examples here?

Why ask for an agency to intervene that doesn't have jurisdiction or management responsibility for the species in question?  I guess the feds might be interested if it involved ducks, or swans, or grizzly bears, but certainly not elk.

When you're writing a letter asking for people's heads, I think it would behoove one to have the most direct and concise document they could create that clearly outlined and substantiated the allegations against those whose head you are asking for.

[JLS]

I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.Also the big horns were put in there to show the above named had mismanaged these animals also.

What makes you say the bighorns were mis-managed? Do you know what happened to the sheep? Judging by your reason for including them in your letter, I think you don't know what happened to them.

Is it mismanagment by WDFW that some bighorns got pneumonia

Happens in every state that has them, some worse than others.

[bbarnes]

I dint think the readers of this forum realize, how serious of a situation this is.Here are some facts from Fridays meeting,with the commissioners.There was a retired scientist from the CDC center for disease contoll, who lives in Skomokawa WA his name was Boom Mora.This gentleman was a wealth of knowledge and has been trying to get the WDFW to conduct a study for the last three months.He had talk to elk ranches in Oregon, and thinks it a fungus that lives in the soils and water.Also he said if it was  that he thought that it was,  its transferable to humans, wildlife  and domestic livestock.When the commissioners ask Nate Pamplin the assistant wildlife program manager, he told the commission that test done over the last two months on calf elk, revealed that they were all infected.He went on to say they had no idea what was causing the hoof rot and was alarmed at the number of elk that were infected.Phil Anderson then addressed the commission, and told them he had knowledge of the problem and had not taken it seriously.He then went on to say it would be a agenda item for the June meeting.After that some of the commissioners ask about health risk to humans and the WDFWs liability for not conducting study's.I urge every hunter to attend the June meeting, in addition myself and Mark Smith will be conducting some town halls in May, stay tuned for dates and times.

[bigtex]

I dint think the readers of this forum realize, how serious of a situation this is.

We know how serious it is. But your letter has several issues with it.

[jackelope]

I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.Also the big horns were put in there to show the above named had mismanaged these animals also.

What makes you say the bighorns were mis-managed? Do you know what happened to the sheep? Judging by your reason for including them in your letter, I think you don't know what happened to them.

Is it mismanagment by WDFW that some bighorns got pneumonia

Happens in every state that has them, some worse than others.

I know what happened to the sheep and why they got the pneumonia. I have a hard time saying any of it had to do with mismanagement of the bighorn sheep. Any issue with sheep, yes. But not the bighorns and not WDFW's fault.

And yes again, I agree with JLS...hopefully next time someone proofreads your letter. It will help to get you taken seriously.

[bobcat]

I think it's good that you're putting some pressure on them to try to deal with the issue. But I also feel it's quite a stretch to place the blame for hoof rot soley on the WDFW. These are wild animals and there's not much that can be done with something like this. I do hope they can figure out the actual cause of it, and only then will we know if there's anything at all that can be done. I think it's probably more of a issue with the quality of their habitat, and possibly the chemicals that timber companies use, as we've discussed many times on here. If it's a bacteria, or fungus, or whatever, that is present in the soil, it's probably always been there, and always will be there. Somehow these elk's immune systmes aren't working properly due to their overall poor health and so the hoof rot is able to take hold, when in the past it couldn't. At least that is my take on it.

[dreamunelk]

Retired CDC scientist?  Are you pronouncing or spelling his name correctly?    I did a quick search and his name does not come up on any research.  Absolute nothing?  Effectively you are making an appeal to authority in you argument.  Unfortunately there is nothing to back up the authority.

Anyone who works in research at a high level will have been published.  If they work for the federal government, with the exception of top secret military stuff, their name will come up associated with relevant material to verify.  It is this way so credibility can be verified.

How do you know they are not testing for bacteria or fungus?   

[bbarnes]

He res the problem i see with the management of our resource. there managing it for the dollars not the resource.Also if anyone has done more reseach about this problem in our state please tell myself or Mark Smith i would love to hear some solutions.Don't kill the messinger here if you can tell me hunting and fishing's better than its ever been i wont put up another post.As far as i could tell there we !0 people that have a right to complain they were the ones at the commission meeting.I believe they were there trying to make a difference, and forcing the people that get paid to manage are resources to manage it not cover up problems.Also some of you are right about the wolfs there spending tons on that program, as a matter of fact there sending four team of WDFW people out to trap and tag these animals next month.The Hoof Rot problem is not natural do a little research you will find out the same.I'm not on this site to argue only to inform hunters of whats going on before theres nothing left.In closing i would like my 12 year old, to have the same opportunity's I've had in my 48 years of life havesting wildlife in our state.

[bbarnes]

Sent you a PM dreamunelk

[PolarBear]

 

[nontypical176]

I don't care who it is, but the people in charge of running this state, the game dept., food dept., health dept. whatever needs to have their arses kicked and be fired.  What has been allowed to happen is unacceptable on so many levels.  I live in the heart of hoof rot country.  6 years ago I never saw a limping elk here, I had in other units but not here, and now its hard to find a single elk with out obviouse problems.

Jerk offs tell me its safe to eat, but I've done some of my own studies on the animals me and my friends have harvested over the last several years and I ain't so sure.  Just this year I examined the hind quarter of the raghorn I got and made some interresting notes; leg was skinnier, didn't rigamortize the same as the rest of the animal, meat on that quarter was pinker and moister.  The bull wasn't noticeably limping or I wouldn't have shot him, due to past experiences with hoof rot I try my best to shoot healthy elk, but they are hard to come by in these parts.  Another bull I got 3 years ago had big bone growths on the hip and leg of the infected quarter.  Even if the hoof rot in that bull could have been cured, those bone growths would be there for life.  These are elk I'm eating or have ate.  One is in my freezer now.

The fact that these elk are just being allowed to suffer is another issue all on its own.  It causes me great pain to watch when the herd gets close to my house so close you can see the pain on their faces.  all of them sometimes up to 30 head and I can't find one not limping.  The fact that the state has done so little to protect us and our wild animals is something we all need to be concerned about.  Not a single study done on a living elk to even see if there is a cure or if maybe they misjudged and we shouldn't be eating them. 

As for hunting the infected herd, well not hunting them would be rediculouse.  Year after year the herd here holds steady numbers.  Its almost amazing that these cows keep on reproducing, but I haven't noticed a drop in the population at all.  Man elk are tough.

Its always been a matter of funding because our tax moneys and license fees should be spent on other garbage.  So sign me up for the HOOF ROT PASS, any body that wants to hunt, view or eat these animals should have to pay extra.  It can go in our windows next to the DISCOVER PASS what a joke.

The people running our state need to be punished, and have one leg hobbled like on the movie misery.  There are many on here that won't agree with how I'm feeling right now, but a dozen elk hobbled past my house this morning and I want people to be held accountable for the fact that we don't really know why yet.

Bbarnes I applaud your efforts and anyone else that is trying to make a difference.   Our state representatives are failing its citizens and without punishment they would be allowed to continue doing nothing.

 

[JLS]

The people running our state need to be punished, and have one leg hobbled like on the movie misery.   

So based on this premise, are people going to be allowed to shoot at us hunters for the stress we inflict upon animals?

[nontypical176]

Sorry about that little part, they probably shouldn't be physically punished I'm just a little upset.

[bbarnes]

Brief History,

Over the past 23 years, (since 1990), we have witnessed Hoof Rot increase from one Game Management Unit (GMU) in Pacific county to over 21 GMU’s over 10 counties, effecting thousands of elk in SW Washington.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, (WDFW) report http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/ states simply that they do not know what is causing it, nor do they have any plan to contain or treat this now pandemic disease, WDFW estimate over 55% of all elk in the 10 counties covering over 3.4 million acres are effected. WDFW further state that due to lack of funding they are unable to determine the cause or come up with any plan for treatment of the disease. All this, despite the involvement of Washington State University, Colorado State and the WDFW Staff. The report also states that they are allocating limited funds towards this problem.

Causes and Effect,

Hoof Rot in almost all cases effects animals in poor body condition who are run down, low on minerals, have poor habitat conditions or are under extreme stress. During elk captures in 1995, near Mount St Helens, biologist reported that captured elk were in poor all over body condition. The eruption, and subsequent mismanagement, lead to over population and poor habitat, resulting in an overall unhealthy elk herd. The WDFW contributed greatly, with a lack of an effective management plan.

In 1998, and 2006 we witnessed some of the largest winter die offs in State history, with hundreds of elk starving to death.

The WDFW along with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation invested over 1million dollars in 10 years trying to increase habitat, only to have a net loss.

The WDFW has increased the length hunting seasons in the GMU’s around the Monument to over 157,000 hunter days a year. While this was designed to lower the elk herd size, instead it “ran” the elk (avoiding hunters) from September to February. This resulted in additional extreme stress, further contributing to the ill health and overall poor body conditions that have resulted in the elk herds increasingly diseased state.

From 1995 to date, the WDFW has been aware of the increasing presence of hoof rot. Curoiously, from 1998 to 2012 in the “Governors Status and Trend Report”, prepared by the WDFW Director, Assistant Director and Big Game Manger, there is no mention of Hoof Rot at all.

The 2009, Mt St Helens Herd plan, does mention hoof rot, but only as a disease that develops from the poor body condition of the herd, and essentially no mention of the increasing presence of the disease.

Nor, was there any mention of Hoof Rot, in the 1998 - 2012, Hunting Regulations. Yet, during the 2012 elk season hunters who shot elk with hoof rot were told to “use their nose” to determine if the meat was safe to eat.

The Game Commission was notified of the public concern at their February 9th 2013 meeting, where we were assured that the WDFW was “aware and working on the problem”. A quick glance on the WDFW Hoof Rot Web sight on that date, clearly stated, that “they have no idea what is causing the hoof rot, nor do they have a plan for containment or treatment”.

We feel that the WDFW has violated the public trust by not disclosing the presence of hoof rot in the SW Washington elk herds. The lack of this disclosure can only be seen to sell hunting license for revenue, with no concern for he resource or public safety.

Treatment,

While there are over 40 different known types of hoof rot, there are only three methods of treatment that have been identified. “Topical”, treatment that is put on the outside of the hoof. “Oral”, mixtures of feed, containing antibiotics and minerals, as well as high quality nutrition. Lastly, by injection of antibiotics and minerals as appropriate. A combination of all three of these treatment modalities, has proven to be effective in other locations, at treating the affected animals, and preventing other at risk animals from getting the disease; research overwhelmingly indicates, that it is rather “unimportant” to research the exact cause of the disease, that a combination of these treatments will essentially treat affected animals and prevent the further spread.

[bbarnes]

WEED* KILLING HERBICIDES --- HARMING PEOPLE, PETS, WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT
By Dr. Michael W. Fox

 

The herbicide called Roundup is one of Monsanto corporation’s most profitable, globally marketed products. It contains an organophosphate chemical called glyphosate, plus other ingredients. Other manufacturers also produce similar herbicides with slightly different formulations, all of which, like DDT in the 1950s, are said to be safe when applied in accord with the manufacturer’s instructions.
.
I recently confronted one municipal applicator in an electric vehicle spraying Roundup along the sidewalks where I live in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He told me that it was safe—“Same stuff as is in your gas tank” and that he had to do it to keep the neighborhood looking nice and to stop weeds from damaging the asphalt and concrete walkways. In an earlier call to the chief of Parks and Recreation, after I had spoken to another municipal employee spraying Roundup around the baseball field and child’s play area, I expressed my concerns about this practice. He assured me that it was really necessary because “We could get sued if a child got injured tripping over a clump of weeds.”

The widespread use of Roundup and other herbicides by municipal  and state authorities, (especially under park and forest management), businesses (notably power companies under their power lines), by private property managers of warehouse lots, shopping malls, apartment complexes, school yards and playgrounds, and by home owners on their driveways and yards, is neither monitored nor regulated.

The agricultural use of Roundup in particular has escalated, especially in Minnesota, where vast acreages of commodity crops are sprayed repeatedly to control weeds around these crops that have been genetically engineered to not be killed by this herbicide. These crops include corn, soybean (fed mainly to livestock and poultry), sugar beet and canola. Millions of acres of cotton genetically engineered to resist Roundup are grown in southern states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently approved the planting of alfalfa, ---a major forage crop for the dairy industry, that is genetically engineered to be Roundup resistant, and has also given the OK for Scotts Miracle-Gro to market Roundup resistant Kentucky blue grass, a popular horse feed and lawn grass that will mean further escalation of home-owner use of Roundup.

 

 

* ‘Weed’ is a pejorative term for predominantly indigenous, uncultivated plants recolonizing their original habitats, enhancing biodiversity, improving soil and water quality, controlling run-off, providing food for insects, birds and other wildlife, many being highly nutritious and medicinal.
Exact figures of the amount of this herbicide being used in the U.S. are hard to come by because the U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped updating its pesticide use data base in 2008. The EPA estimates that the agricultural market used 180 to 185 million pounds of glyphosate between 2006 and 2007, while the non-agricultural market used 8 to 11 million pounds between 2005 and 2007. Monsanto is not the only manufacturer of glyphosate. China sells glyphosate to Argentina** and other countries at a much lower price, and there are more than one hundred formulations on the market.
Minnesota, the ‘land of 10,000 lakes’, is ostensibly concerned about water quality, and with what the state allows to be put into the Mississippi river, since after all, millions of tax paying citizens drink it, cook and shower with it. But to its credit Minnesota was the first state to report the discovery of frogs with various birth defects. Roundup and similar herbicides are known to be harmful to aquatic life and water quality but the myth endures that humans are somehow immune.

This myth has now been dispelled by a major review by several eminent scientists and academicians, two of whom I know personally, of research studies of the effects of Roundup on various laboratory animals under carefully controlled conditions. ("Roundup and birth defects-Is the public being kept in the dark?" available in www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5.) Glyphosate-based herbicides, residues of which are in various foods and beverages, have been shown to cause birth defects in laboratory animal tests. Many widely used agricultural pesticides are endocrine ( hormone)-disruptors causing infertility, abnormal genitalia and feminization, and could play a significant role in the genesis of various cancers. Studies cited in this review link glyphosate and Roundup (which has various additives) with DNA and genetic damage, mutations, cancer, neurological and behavioral changes, lowered serotonin levels, brain tumors, lower sperm counts and blocking of androgen, the male sex hormone. The authors of this review state: “The public--- has been kept in the dark by industry and regulators about the ability of glyphosate and Roundup to cause malformations.In addition, the work of independent scientists who have drawn attention to the herbicide’s teratogenic (birth defect) efects has been ignored, denigrated,or dismissed. These actions on the part of industry and regulators have endangered public health.”

( Endocrine disruptors, many of which have been identified contaminating our food, water, food and water containers and home environments, have been linked to the current epidemics of obesity (metabolic syndrome), diabetes and thyroid disease in the human and their companion animal populations).

It is well known that environmental changes can trigger harmless micro-organisms to mutate, proliferate and even evolve into more harmful varieties (pathogens). Environmental changes associated with the planting of herbicide resistant, genetically modified (GM) corn, soybean, sugar beet, and alfalfa, and with the repeated applications of the herbicide Roundup affecting soil microorganisms, crop nutrient uptake and disease resistance, may have created a new pathogen. According to Dr. Don Huber, Professor Emeritus, Purdue University, this harmful organism, hitherto unknown to science, found in abundance in GM soybean meal, and corn products, is linked to infertility, abortions and other health problems in a wide variety of livestock, and to Sudden Death Syndrome in soy and Goss’ wilt in corn. For details see posting on my website www.drfoxvet.com/info/, and interview with Dr Huber in Acres USA magazine, May 2011.

Prof. Huber has been researching glyphosate for 20 years, and began noticing problems when he saw a consistent increase in “take-all”, a fungal disease of wheat, when glyphosate had been applied in a previous year to control weeds. He found glyphosate reduced manganese in plants, which is essential to many plants’ defense mechanisms against disease and environmental stress. Glyphosate can immobilize plant nutrients such as manganese, copper, potassium iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, so they are no longer nutritionally functional. Basically, glyphosate completely weakens plants with genetically engineered resistance, making them susceptible to soil-borne fungal pathogens and lowering their nutritive value.
Robert Kremer, a microbiologist with the USDA-ARS (US Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Research Service) found differences in bacteria in plant roots and changes in nutrient availability following treatment with Roundup. Glyphosate can have toxic effects on some microorganisms, notably beneficial bacteria like nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia, and can stimulate others, like toxic fungus Fusarium, to germinate spores and colonize roots systems. This may be one reason why manufactured pet foods are frequently recalled because of aflatoxin contamination. He also found that when the soil is full of phosphate (as when livestock manure is used as a fertilizer), glyphosate more readily leaches into ground water (and poison wildlife and human beings).
Herbicides are absorbed by resistant food crops (along with antibiotic ‘markers’ and antibiotics in manure applied as fertilizer) may play a significant role in digestive problems (dysbiosis) and bowel disease in both people and companion animals being fed regular manufactured pet foods.( For details, see M.W.Fox, 2011, Healing Animals & The Vision of One Health. Amazon.com).
Lawn and garden herbicides, which should be banned, are linked to lymphatic and bladder cancer in exposed dogs who have become the modern equivalent of the proverbial canary down the mine shaft, cancer being now their leading cause of death, the high incidence of which is a recognized occupational hazard of farm workers. These agrichemicals may also play a role in honey bee colony collapse, which is becoming a global epidemic that could mean ecological devastation and food shortages since one-third of our food crops need to be pollinated by insects.

The widespread use of herbicides like Roundup and other pesticides is driven more by the culturally conditioned reflexes of an adversarial attitude than simply by the profit motive, with ultimately biocidal consequences. This attitude is under girded by a baffling indifference toward potentially harmful consequences, and by a disturbing readiness to believe that there are none.

I wish that Roundup and other herbicides would be safe for the sake of all involved and all that may be harmed, especially aquatic life, the life in the soil as well as life in the womb and egg. Steering clear of imprecise risk-benefit analyses and debates, often biased by vested interests, I fully recognize the scientific limitations of safety and toxicity determinations, especially when there are other chemical additives in Roundup and other herbicide formulations, when these chemicals are changed due to metabolic processes in organisms, and when there is already a host of  other chemical compounds contaminating the food chain, environment, rain water and human amniotic and other body fluids and tissues.

 Stock holders and other stake holders invested in the herbicide and agrichemical business have as much responsibility to be accountable for the public and environmental health risks and documented harms as do the manufacturers, state and federal regulators and all end-users. The now global use of products such as Roundup is totally unacceptable and all responsible governments should review the scientific evidence that supports this conclusion, and take the long overdue steps to prohibit the cosmetic (domestic), agricultural and other uses of such hazardous substances.

My advice to consumers, parents and pet owners alike, is to avoid all corn, canola, beet sugar and soy-containing consumables unless they are organically certified. All community uses of herbicides and other pesticides need to be confronted especially where their use exposes children and companion animals to unnecessary risk, as well as indigenous wildlife, including aquatic affected by run-off. Garden supply centers should be informed and only permitted to sell less harmful lawn and garden weed control products. Applying the precautionary principle, in the light of considerable scientific evidence of the health risks of this class of chemicals, is common sense after all is said and done.

 **Argentine government scientists, Alejandra Paganelli et al conducted a study, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology in 2010 ( vol. 23: p 1586-1595) entitled  “Glyphosate-based Herbicides Produce Teratogenic Effects on Vertebrates By Impairing Retinoic Acid Signalling”. Malformations in frog and chicken embryos developed at doses far lower than those used in agricultural spraying. These malformations were reportedly similar to human birth defects found in genetically modified soy-producing regions in Argentina. (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx1001749).
Citations Referenced in Text
Antoniou M et al  Roundup and birth defects-Is the public being kept in the dark? Earth Open Source 2011. Available in www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5.)
Hayes HM et al Case-control study of canine malignant lymphoma positive association with dog owner’s use of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides. J Nat Cancer Inst 1991, 83: 1226-1231
Glickman LT et al  Herbicide exposure and risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 2004,. 224:1290-1297
 Johal GS and Huber DM. Glyphosate effects on diseases of plants. Eur J Agron 2009, 31:142-152.
. Kremer RJ and Means NE. Glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant crop interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms. Euro J Agron 2009, 31: 153-161.
Yamada T. Kremer RJ. De Carmargo e Castro and Wood BW. Glyphosate interactions with physiology, nutrition, and diseases of plants: threats to agricultural sustainability? Eur J Agron 2009, 31: 111-113
ADDITIONAL CITATIONS COLLATED BY DIANA POST, DVM, RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL INC.
 Arbuckle, T; et al, “An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the riskof spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population”, Environmental Health Perspectives, 109, 2001, 851-857
Cauble, K.; et al, “Sublethal effects of the herbicide glyphosate on amphibian metamorphosis and development”, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 75, 2005, 429-435
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 POSTSCRIPT:
 YET ANOTHER REVIEW RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT CONSUMING HERBICIDE RESISTANT CORN & SOYBEANS
A new report reviewing 19 studies of mammals fed with commercialized GM soybean and maize (which represent more than 80% of all GMOs grown on a large scale) indicates liver and kidney signs of toxicity in mammals fed on a GM diet. The report by Gilles-Eric Séralini et al is published in Environmental Sciences Europe (2011, 23, 10-20). The full paper is available at: http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10

 

The author is a veterinarian & writes the syndicated newspaper column Animal Doctor. His latest book is Healing Animals and The Vision of One Health, with Amazon.com  His website is www.drfoxvet.com/info/

 

[bigtex]

We feel that the WDFW has violated the public trust by not disclosing the presence of hoof rot in the SW Washington elk herds. The lack of this disclosure can only be seen to sell hunting license for revenue, with no concern for he resource or public safety.

How can you say WDFW is not disclosing the presence of hoof rot when:
1- There are several WDFW websites just dedicated to hoof rot
2- Within the past 5-10 years there have been several news reports on local TV stations regarding the issue, there was one earlier this year on King 5

The large majority of hunters in SW WA know about hoof rot. If WDFW "violated the public trust by not disclosing the presence of hoof rot" nobody would know about it.

[JLS]

The WDFW has increased the length hunting seasons in the GMU’s around the Monument to over 157,000 hunter days a year. While this was designed to lower the elk herd size, instead it “ran” the elk (avoiding hunters) from September to February. This resulted in additional extreme stress, further contributing to the ill health and overall poor body conditions that have resulted in the elk herds increasingly diseased state.

Statements like this really reduce the credibility of your argument.  What do you want done, do you want the herd size reduced or the animals to have refuge from stress?

I've seen elk herds in MT that were hunted from September through February, and they appeared to be healthy enough.  Is the forage in SW Washington is that poor?

How has there been a net loss in habitat over the last ten years?

I'm not trying to be a wise guy here, but if you want support it would certainly help you to articulate your arguments instead of just reposting the same shotgun propoganda over and over.

[huntnphool]

Just wondering what you suggest?

Still waiting Barnes.

[Practical Approach]

The WDFW has increased the length hunting seasons in the Gum's around the Monument to over 157,000 hunter days a year. While this was designed to lower the elk herd size, instead it ran the elk (avoiding hunters) from September to February. This resulted in additional extreme stress, further contributing to the ill health and overall poor body conditions that have resulted in the elk herds increasingly diseased state.

Statements like this really reduce the credibility of your argument.  What do you want done, do you want the herd size reduced or the animals to have refuge from stress?

I've seen elk herds in MT that were hunted from September through February, and they appeared to be healthy enough.  Is the forage in SW Washington is that poor?

How has there been a net loss in habitat over the last ten years?

I'm not trying to be a wise guy here, but if you want support it would certainly help you to articulate your arguments instead of just reposting the same shotgun propoganda over and over.

Seems to me, both are important.  While it might be prudent to reduce the herd size to prevent disease spread or simply eliminate infected animals, it would also be desireable to give the elk some refuge.  Short intense seasons possibly?

Yes, the forage in SW Washington is pretty darn poor unless you are an elk that lives on farm pastures.  In fact, past research has shown that it is common for western Washington cow elk to have a calf every other year due to such poor forage conditions.  It takes a cow two years sometimes to build up enough fat reserves to breed.  There is not much protein in most of the plants that elk eat in western Washington. 

I am guessing that the habitat has changed around the volcano drastically since the eruption.  Anyone who has visited could see monoculture of trees that are all the same age planted post eruption.  Hopefully, the trees are becoming old enough where some thinning and cutting is taking place thus opening up the ground floor for something to actually grow that  elk like to eat. 

 
 

[nontypical176]

Not trying to start anything here or debate but its hard not for me to ask questions and offer opinions on the matter.

Herd size is the problem?  Maybe but I don't think so.  Just seemed to happen so quick and I've been hunting these parts for 30 years, herd numbers seem like they always were especially towards the coast away from Mt St Helens.

Stress from hunting?  Maybe all forms of hunting combined but not just humans.  Around here irrisposible dog owners have the elk running year around but comparing the 5 acre waste land I live in to the outer limits of the Coweeman unit isn't right either and the elk out there have hoof rot too.  But around here the game is pushed by pet dogs way worse than hunters.

Spraying?  Well maybe, Weyerhauser was spreading fertilizer within a quarter mile of my last bull, but the herds with the greatest numbers of infected elk (atleast around here) are in the developed areas that are not owned by timber companies and such.  I guess maybe we all use the same chemicals or it just don't take much?

Infects unhealthy elk?  Well maybe that too, but a couple of the raghorns I harvested had good fat, were good sized elk.  I guess all the elk in this huge area all became unhealthy at some point and I just didn't know it.  Generally it would seem herd size would shrink naturally with less calves and such, but what do I know?

Another thing I note in the infected elk that boggles me and if someone can help me to understand how or why that so often it is only one rear hoof thats infected, I would appreciate it.  Doesn't it seem strange there is a target area for fungus or parasites or whatever it is that deffinently prefers a rear hoof and most often only one of them....I am going to start looking closer at the herd next time they are in the area to see if whatever the heck it is prefers left or right side more.  I can tell you from 30' off my porch walking through mowed grass close to 80% are only limping on 1 rear leg.  When I say limping it means physically, lack of hoof, or elongated hoof.  The other hoofs most often appear fine even in game we've harvested, and I haven't looked close enough but all the limpers mite have had an infected rear even if another area was infected.  The elk that mysteriously fell dead at my sisters house had 3 badly infected hooves and was very skinny.  A cow my buddy shot in the Battleground unit was limping badly but the hooves looked fine.  Could have been the result of some other accident but that elk had all the signs of hoof rot and was with a herd of hoof rotted elk but it had normal hoofs.  Is there a logical explanaition I'm missing for the rear hoof being so often the problem?  Not trying to change topics, but its just another reason for me to be conscerened with the meat in my freezer.  I wish I would have saved the WDFW answer to this question it was obvious they didn't want to answer me at all.

My mom thinks that somehow it is infecting the brain....talking about the elk not the WDFW....and its just making areas of the body more prone to disease and problems.  Don't know, I just want it to go away and if heads have got to roll so that we have deffinte answers, good or bad, than so be it.