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On Friday, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) unveiled the next phase of its controversial effort to eradicate LBAM, which still includes aerial pesticide spraying of “forested” and “agricultural” areas, despite last year’s large-scale opposition from dozens of California communities, scientific experts, and legislators. Even as the nation and the state confront major state budget shortfalls, CDFA continues to push its multi-million dollar plan to exterminate a pest that has done no documented damage.
The EIR surveys a range of proposed LBAM treatments, from aerial and ground spraying of pesticides on public and private property to lobbing “goo” laced with the mutagenic, neurotoxic, and possibly carcinogenic pesticide permethrin at telephone poles and trees to attract and kill the moth.
The area over which the treatments will take place currently encompasses 13 counties including much of the Bay and Santa Cruz areas but would be expanded to anywhere in the state where the moth is found, excluding small areas of southeastern California and the Sierras.
The report finds no negative health impacts from ground or aerial pesticide spraying and that airplane noise would be the only negative impact of aerial spraying.
The report also defines the “no action” alternative as entailing massive use of toxic pesticides by homeowners and as a result concludes that taking no action for LBAM would have more significant environmental impacts than the multiple mass chemical applications proposed by the state.
The EIR does not address: the hundreds of illnesses reported after LBAM aerial spraying in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties in 2007, evidence cited by UC scientists that LBAM has been in the state for decades, and the lack of evidence that LBAM poses a risk to crops or wild plants. The report instead dramatizes a recent isolated incident in which an unconfirmed species of leaf-roller moth did modest damage to a single blackberry field in Watsonville as evidence that “Recent LBAM infestations in organic berries have caused up to 20 percent crop loss.”
“The assumptions and conclusions in this EIR defy rationality,” said Nan Wishner, spokesperson for Stop the Spray East Bay. “This plan is just another of the state’s attempts to use pseudo-science to justify its predetermined goal to use unnecessary, unsafe, and ineffective chemical treatments for a moth that has been in the state for decades without doing any damage.”
Environmental groups were quick to point out many concerns with new plan, including its foundation. “Eradication is an unachievable goal in California,” said Paul S. Towers, Director of Pesticide Watch. “With global warming and global trade, officials need to take a realistic approach to tackling pests. Healthy farms and healthy ecosystems create the best defenses against pests like the moth.” The report does not even consider the well-accepted and scientifically based strategy of integrated pest management, which California farmers use to control other common insect pests.
Other concerns environmental groups have raised include the fact that the EIR is based on incomplete assessments by the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of the risks of aerial spray and the extremely limited studies of short-term toxicity of only the active ingredient in the pheromone based pesticides proposed for use.
“As we know, the so-called inert ingredients in pesticides are often as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, the active ones,” noted Center for Environmental Health Research Director Caroline Cox.
An appendix to the report does note that there are no data about health effects from long-term human exposure for most of the pesticides proposed for use in the program.
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The new boundaries will quarantine plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables grown in some areas of Contra Costa, San Benito, Monterey, San Joaquin and Solano counties.
Three new quarantine boundaries have been established: approximately 18 square miles in the Manteca area of San Joaquin County – the first quarantine in the San Joaquin Valley; approximately 16 square miles in the Gonzales area of Monterey County; and approximately 15 square miles in the Fairfield area of Solano County.
Two currently quarantined areas have been expanded: approximately 12 additional square miles in the Hollister area of San Benito County; and approximately 32 additional square miles in the regulated area of Contra Costa County.
Preparations are also underway for forthcoming quarantines in the Long Beach area of Los Angeles County and in the Los Osos area of San Luis Obispo County due to recent detections of the pest.
The statewide light brown apple moth infestation has grown in density and range in 2009. This summer the apple moth did considerable damage to berry fields near Watsonville. More than 110,000 moths have been trapped in California.
Approximately 3,473 square miles are now under quarantine within California. State and federal quarantine regulations prohibit the movement of all nursery stock, all cut flowers, and all host fruits and vegetables and plant parts within or from the quarantined area unless it is certified as free from the pest by an agricultural official; is purchased at a retail outlet; or was produced outside the area and is passing through in accordance with accepted safeguards. Additionally, federal regulations apply to host commodities from the entire county if the commodities are moving interstate.
The quarantine applies to residential and public properties as well as plant nurseries, farms and other commercial enterprises. Residents are asked to consume fruits and vegetables from yards and gardens in the area rather than removing them from the property. Landscapers and yard maintenance companies will be among the businesses placed under compliance agreements to ensure that yard waste is disposed of properly. People who are unsure if they are within the quarantine zone are asked to assume that they are. Maps of the quarantine zones are available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PDEP/lbam/quarantine.html .
The light brown apple moth is native to Australia and is found in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Hawaii. The range of host plants is broad with more than two-thousand plant species known to be susceptible to attack by this pest, and more than 250 crops. It threatens California’s environment by destroying, stunting or deforming young seedlings and damaging new growth in the forest canopy. The moth also feeds on host plants and damages or spoils the appearance of ornamental plants, citrus, grapes, and deciduous fruit tree crops. State and federal agriculture officials are currently developing sterile insect technology to combat the infestation.
For more information on the light brown apple moth, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/lbam .
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CLEARLAKE OAKS – Remington Plumbing & Bath opened its doors and held a grand opening June 24.
Chris and Katy Remington have moved into the area, and have joined the business community. They have combined their talents – two businesses in one.
Chris Remington is usually out working on new and existing plumbing projects for commercial and residential customers.
Katy Remington has added to the plumbing business location a beautiful bath shop. You can find lotions, soap, teas, and body care products for yourself or for gifts. Many of the labels were from locals. You can find everything you need to destress, relax and care for your body.
Stop by and see Chris and Katy Remington with Remington Plumbing & Bath at 13300 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, in the Big Oak Plaza, or give them a call at 707-998-1168.
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Supported by a broad coalition of environmentalists, private landowners and the timber industry, this bill was introduced to protect private forestland from development while keeping intact private property rights, and the jobs and businesses that are tied to the land.
“The current tax code makes it hard for conservation organizations to manage and restore our forests,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill is important for the health of our forests and forest jobs.”
“A massive forest ownership conversion has taken place with nearly 84% of America’s industrial forests changing hands in the past 12 years,” said Tom Tuchmann, President of Portland, Oregon-based US Forest Capital. “Notwithstanding the economic downturn, transaction activity remains strong, creating opportunities for large-scale conservation purchases. With funding for such purchases being the limiting factor, tools such as these Community Forestry Bonds will be of benefit to all.”
Fast action is needed. While deforestation has been balanced by reforestation of agriculture lands in recent decades, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that 23 million acres of forestland will be lost by 2050. There are multiple reasons for this trend, including the still significantly more lucrative residential and commercial real estate market, tax policy, global competition, loss of mill infrastructure and changing inter-generational demographics.
“The Bible says we shall reap what we sow and this legislation will enable nonprofit organizations to sow forest lands with seeds of conservation and forest management that will protect and preserve forests for generations to come,” Rep. McDermott, a senior Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said.
California’s Redwood Forest Foundation’s recent acquisition of the Usal Redwood Forest was one community’s response to these massive ownership changes. “The Foundation would like to thanks Congressman Thompson for his leadership on this important issue,” said Art Harwood, Executive Director of the Redwood Forest Foundation. “Community Forestry Bonds will provide RFFI and our communities with a funding tool that will keep our forests working for the economic, environmental and social attributes they provide”.
The bill is supported by an unusual coalition among conservation, timber and financial interests and simply modifies the tax code to allow municipal revenue bonds to be issued on behalf of a organizations like RFFI to purchase tracts of land. Such acquisition protects the land from development and fragmentation while allowing jobs that depend on harvesting to continue.
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