RAMPANT USE OF PESTICIDES

[snowpack]

  Yeah.  But Do They?  Maybe Half If Lucky.

There's a case in Oregon (I think the investigation is still going on) that their Dept of Ag recently released a statement about a spray company that was using a few chemicals it wasn't supposed to use, was spraying at levels above what were safe for the chemicals it did have, was spraying everything in the flight path including homes and then they were falsifying documents and misleading investigators.  Probably hear more about it when they decide what to do.  It was kind of recent, I think the report came out last week.

[bbarnes]

I've been talking with law makers about this since the die off of 2006 in the tousle river valley.The ELK were walking around like zombies foaming at the mouth and would lay down and kick them selfs to death.Again in 2008 the same thing,at that time we were told it was starvation.Myself and others didn't buy it,this was all taking place while the timber company,was spraying and dropping pellets in all the areas above the mud flow.This year I decided to take matters in my own hands,and we formed a group to look into this situation.Since then I have been to the DNR three times,the department of AG twice,talked with the department of ecology on numerous occasions,and still the same answer.They always point you to another agency,and defend what's going on even when you point out the facts of the matter.I also have attend many of our states game commission meeting,including last Friday.Now after a year of getting the run around,I have sleeked legal advice from some well known and extremely successful attorneys.The bottom line is we need this looked into,for are own health and safety,also the health of our wild lands and fish and wildlife.Now we can all be arm chair quarter backs,and choose to let's others do all the work,or we can write a few emails,and make a few phone calls.These chemicals have not been approved to be mixed together period.

[fireweed]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

[bbarnes]

Your getting it fireweed now start making some calls with your concerns.Also what do you think the effect is on the wet land water flows down hill.

[snowpack]

http://www.currypilot.com/News/Local-News/Firm-guilty-of-illegal-spraying
This is an article referencing the case I mentioned above.  I realize it is Oregon, but think many of the chemicals and forestry practices are similar/same in Washington.  Also, this guy is a bad apple and not all operate like him. 
The effects of the spray on the people and animals, had me wonder if deer and elk would be affected the same as the horses and dog in the article.

Immediately, some 40-plus residents started to fall ill — sore throats, dizziness, balance problems, nausea and difficulty seeing — and a horse lost more than 500 pounds, a dog half its body weight, and a colt has gone blind.

Do you guys in the industry know/suspect that the symptoms were from the chemicals that weren't supposed to be used, a high concentration of the approved chemicals or something new when they are mixed?

[singleshot12]

I've been talking with law makers about this since the die off of 2006 in the tousle river valley.The ELK were walking around like zombies foaming at the mouth and would lay down and kick them selfs to death.Again in 2008 the same thing,at that time we were told it was starvation.Myself and others didn't buy it,this was all taking place while the timber company,was spraying and dropping pellets in all the areas above the mud flow.This year I decided to take matters in my own hands,and we formed a group to look into this situation.Since then I have been to the DNR three times,the department of AG twice,talked with the department of ecology on numerous occasions,and still the same answer.They always point you to another agency,and defend what's going on even when you point out the facts of the matter.I also have attend many of our states game commission meeting,including last Friday.Now after a year of getting the run around,I have sleeked legal advice from some well known and extremely successful attorneys.The bottom line is we need this looked into,for are own health and safety,also the health of our wild lands and fish and wildlife.Now we can all be arm chair quarter backs,and choose to let's others do all the work,or we can write a few emails,and make a few phone calls.These chemicals have not been approved to be mixed together period.

Good for you bbarnes! We as outdoorsmen should all be concerned and active as you. I too have witnessed the destruction of wildlife due to weed and insect spray as you. Chemicals company's and their stockholders are a very powerful group to fight.
Tree farms and big ag. are all about yield and profits. They refuse to admit or believe that our fish and wildlife could be effected by these poisons. Most of our lakes and waterways have fish consumption warnings and I wonder why
 

[pianoman9701]

I'll be at the hoof rot meeting in Vancouver tomorrow night. 6-8 p.m., Community Room, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way.

[carver52]

I don't know that much about forestry practices here in the Northwest as I've not really hunted or hiked that much.  Mostly after waterfowl.  But if people don't believe pesticides as well as herbicides kill or cripple most living things that come in contact with it, they should do some research into the state known as Cancer Alley, Louisiana.  Timber is one of the 3 largest industries and one of the area around one of the paper mills in northern part of the state has the highest juvenile leukemia rate in north America.  I helped build a filtering system for one of the ponds which was adjacent to a bayou, which was black with contaminant.  No surprise that the surrounding area was sterile of animal life.
Farming is another major industry and both herbicides and pesticides are applied almost all year it seems.  Farm families down there are ate up with cancer.  One strain of C being found almost exclusively in farm families from NE LA. 
Those chemicals  are only designed to mess up the environment.  Hard to think there are still those who'd deny that fact.

[Jonathan_S]

Agent Orange was safe enough too right?  Until they found out it wasnt.

[hughjorgan]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

If that is the way they want to manage their property and it is done in the confines of the law I see no problem with it.

[bobcat]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

If that is the way they want to manage their property and it is done in the confines of the law I see no problem with it.

I have a problem with it because it affects wildlife, which is NOT their private property.

[singleshot12]

  and anyone down stream

[jackmaster]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

If that is the way they want to manage their property and it is done in the confines of the law I see no problem with it.

I have a problem with it because it affects wildlife, which is NOT their private property.

if timber companies want to cut down on brush then they need to require clearcuts to be cleaner after they are logged, it doesnt take that long to brush out a logging site, unless its on real steep terrain, slash piles are a good thing, even if we cant slash burn anymore, and they have hybrid firs that they replant with, well replant sooner, dont wait so long, once the reprod gets to a certain height it kills all underbrush except oregon grape , sure a few other plants grow but not that much, and those plants that do die off help feed the new trees as time goes on, they know the HERBACIDES or whatever hurt the animals, especially the grouse the crap needs to be outlawed

[fireweed]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

If that is the way they want to manage their property and it is done in the confines of the law I see no problem with it.

Companies need to try being proactive this time.   An attitude like yours (its our property and we can do what we want) is just inviting more regulations.  We in the industry should have learned this lesson.  "we can do what we want" was the status quo BEFORE our state's strict forest practice rules became law.  Imagine if buffers, leave trees, road improvements had been voluntarily instituted how simpler harvest would be today.  But, No, that's our land and if we want to cut all the trees by the river we will...at least for awhile.  If we want to spray everywhere, all the time, we will...for awhile.

[pianoman9701]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an initiative on this yet.  I bet if they planned to spray near Seattle/Bellevue/Issaquah there would be more uproar.

Don't be naive, how do you think they keep the landscapes in those areas looking nice? Pesticides are used everywhere from your parks to schools to the forests. Applicators are required to keep up to snuff on the latest by WSDA. Pesticides have their place.

But does their "place" mean every single acre of tree farms?  Some companies (like Weyco) have policies of every clearcut gets site-prep, release spray etc. whether it needs it or not as a matter of by-the-book intensive forestry.  Only wetlands are spared.  How about a change to more selective spraying for starters.

If that is the way they want to manage their property and it is done in the confines of the law I see no problem with it.

Wildlife is the property of the public. If they're negatively affecting wildlife through spraying, (that hasn't been proven yet), then they're stealing from the public. It's quite simple. The water resources belong to the people, as well. If they're affecting ground water purity, then they're stealing from the public. It's interesting that one of the most commonly used herbicidal sprays has been banned in the European Union for 10 years. It's also interesting to note that the adjuvants aren't regulated except to require that in WA, they need to record which ones are added to the spray mix. It's disturbing that the DFW isn't including studies of sprays as a possible cause of hoof rot and are passing the buck off to other agencies when managing wildlife is their responsibility. How can you effectively manage wildlife if you allow it to be poisoned without raising a finger in question?