A recent letter to the editor questioned the use of herbicides as a safe and effective tool in managing invasive plants, and efforts by Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association to educate the public and provide training and tools. Though by scientific measure and the law these herbicides are safe and legal there is room for public discussion about the appropriate use of herbicides, and we welcome the opportunity. That said, the following statements in the letter to the editor were simply not true.
1. Herbicides are not linked to bee die-offs and do not contain neonicotinoids as the writer implies by linking that environmental concern to our program. Herbicides are markedly different from pesticides, and target pathways and enzymes specific to plant cells, and that do not occur in animal cells.
2. Contrary to the writer’s statement, Canada thistle and tansy do grow in wooded areas and not just in “disturbed” areas. Invasive plants are a serious and growing problem for our county and state on public and private land as they overwhelm native species. Both are on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s list of noxious weeds that landowners are required to control, by law. All “invasive” plants listed by the MDA are deemed invasive because they are non-native to the region in question AND because they are harmful (ecosystem, economy, and/ or human health).
3. The spray program for Cook County landowners requires comprehensive training including label reading and appropriate mixture and spray rates. When applied in accordance with the label, these herbicides are non-toxic to wildlife.
Recurring support from federal, state and private grantors have allowed Sugarloaf, in partnership with the Cook County Invasive Team, to: organize more than 3,000 hours of invasive plant hand pulls on private and public lands in our county over the last four years; conduct dozens of educational programs within the county about this increasingly pervasive problem; and notably, train a dozen landowners in the appropriate use of herbicides on private land. To date this summer the herbicide spraying program coverage is approximately 15 acres. This important invasive plant eradication work is diversified, carefully monitored, and a safe and a positive influence on the county landscape.
Sugarloaf is committed to a healthy North Shore landscape. We hope readers will take interest, seek out educational opportunities to learn the facts and what they can do to take positive action, and develop a personal plan for their property and the local community.
Greg Koschinska
Board President
Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association
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