In Cook County increasing numbers of people grow vegetables and fruits and livestock and lawns without pesticides or herbicides, the county highway department is cutting right of way rather than spraying, Arrowhead Electric Co-op will (with notification) avoid spraying right of way areas on your property, the county extension office promotes methods of weed and pest control that do not use commercial herbicides or pesticides, and most Cook County citizens applaud the efforts of our local beekeepers and want to ensure their efforts are protected. This backing away from chemical fixes is encouraging.
So why is Sugarloaf Cove, the North Shore Stewardship Association, promoting the use of herbicides to control tansy and Canada thistle (both invasive species) rather than pulling or cutting? Sugarloaf is conducting two-hour training classes, providing spraying equipment and herbicide, and sending citizens out to spray on their properties.
In an interview on WTIP Community Radio, the individual conducting these classes was asked what the advantage of using herbicide spraying over pulling or cutting would be.
The answer was that it was faster. So because spraying is faster Sugarloaf Cove will put more chemicals into our environment, possibly endanger apiaries (bees often fly over five miles in search of nectar), work contrary to the organic practices of local organic farms, and introduce into the environment an industrial chemical at the very time that young birds just out of the nest are traveling with parent birds throughout the county learning to find food.
These invasive plants are not threatening a prairie or savannah biome but are invading disturbed areas. Cook County is a forested county and neither Canada thistle nor tansy survive as shade species. They do not threaten our forests.
When informed, a founding board member who served on Sugarloaf ’s board for 20 years was appalled by Sugarloaf ’s sponsored herbicide spraying program. I hope some of you are also appalled and tell Sugarloaf of your displeasure.
Molly Hoffman
Grand Marais
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