You may be well advised to ask the origin of wild berries or baked goods “laced” with wild berries before you eat them. Both the US Forest Service and Great River Energy conducted chemical spray programs in Cook County late this summer.
The USFS sprayed forest service road ditches and some Sawbill/Gunflint Trail county road rights of way for non-native invasive plants. No areas were posted, but if you can find and navigate maps posted on their Region 9 website, you might see a large black dot covering a nearly unidentifiable spray location.
Great River Energy (GRE) sprayed along its local power transmission lines to clear the right of way of trees and brush. No prior public notice was given, nor were areas posted before or after application.
The GRE sites are much easier to identify, as miles of brown and dying vegetation are now visible along County Road 7. Although chemicals are not to be sprayed in and around standing water, areas wet enough to support cattail growth were also sprayed.
Thanks to a recent decision by the Cook County Board of Commissioners (helped along by local citizen encouragement), the county highway department will not be following suit. A request to seek bids for the chemical spraying of remaining county road right of ways was denied unanimously.
Perhaps suspect fruit and baked goods could be passed along to USFS managers and GRE executives… maybe their families will enjoy them.
Bon Appetit.
Bob LaMettry
Pike Lake Road
Grand Marais
Leave a Reply