I am glad to see HCN finally
writing about the BLM’s plan to aerial spray nearly 1 million acres
of public land annually for the purpose of controlling invasive
plants (HCN, 9/3/07)
The West is a
storybook of public-land calamities and this is yet another. Most
of these have been foisted upon us by public agencies with good
intentions. Environmental catastrophes range from dams that
depleted salmon runs to introduced grasses to managing grazing and
forests inappropriately. The list is endless.
The BLM
environmental impact statement claims there will be no notable
impacts, but this cannot possibly be true. Herbicides will fall on
wildlife of all kinds and be washed into streams, ponds and
ephemeral water holes. Downstream communities will drink water
containing these poisons. Did you know that a frog raised in water
containing only 1 part per billion of atrazine, a commonly used
herbicide, will grow both male and female sex organs? Does that
sound desirable?
In the Midwest, where herbicides are
commonplace, it has become clear that indirect exposure to
herbicides causes lymphoma. Particularly vulnerable are unborn
children, in whom the impacts aren’t seen for decades. Likewise,
the unforeseen consequences of aerial spraying our Western lands
won’t be seen or understood for decades.
Weeds are an
unfortunate and serious problem, but they are also a fact of life.
I have come to the conclusion that these invasions must be accepted
and adapted to. The BLM is naive to think it can implement this
action with no discernable impact. They are about to poison huge
portions of the West and this cannot be done without affecting all
of us who live here.
The biggest threat to the
environment is the human ego. This is yet one more example of man
thinking he has the wherewithal to do something when he does not.
When will we learn to leave well enough alone?
Jim McMahon
Brookside,
Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline It’s another disaster.
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