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Herbicide Free Marin by Veit Irtenkauf
TAKE ACTION! Last Chance To Prevent Pesticide Use In Marin's Open Space Preserves
Please attend a VERY important Supervisors' public hearing on Tuesday, October 18th at 1:30 PM and send in letters to oppose pesticide use in the Marin County Open Space District Preserves. This is the last chance to prevent toxic contamination of the open space preserves for years to come!
WHAT: Board of Supervisors as Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) Directors hearing re: the Final Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) Vegetation and Biodiversity Management Plan (VBMP) and its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR)
WHEN: Tuesday, October 18th at 1:30 PM
WHERE: Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Dr., Supervisor Chambers, San Rafael, CA
On October 18th, the Supervisors, acting as the Marin County Open Space District Board of Directors, will decide whether or not to approve the Final Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) Vegetation and Biodiversity Management Plan (VBMP) and its Final Tiered Program Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). Currently, the plan and its FEIR inaccurately purport that Glyphosate (the main ingredient in the toxic herbicide Roundup) is harmless and allow the use of Glyphosate-based herbicides and other toxic pesticides in Marin County's preserves indefinitely. The Plan doesn't even consider a Pesticide-Free Alternative.
This is in direct conflict with the World Health Organization's findings that Glyphosate (AKA Roundup) is a probable human carcinogen. It also conflicts with environmental attorneys', Sustainable TamAlmonte's and other environmental groups' extensive research of hundreds of scientific studies and articles that reveal Glyphosate-based herbicides' grave harm to health and the environment - all of which was submitted to the County. The substantial scientific evidence demonstrates how Glyphosate, Glyphosate herbicide formulations with adjuvants, and associated metabolites could contaminate and harm all facets of an ecosystem, including the soil biology and composition, water, and non-target plants, aquatic organisms, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, animals, and humans. It shows that the toxic effects of Glyphosate and Roundup include disruption of hormonal systems and beneficial gut bacteria, damage to DNA, developmental and reproductive toxicity, birth defects, cancer, and neurotoxicity. It demonstrates that glyphosate formulations with extra-added ingredients (adjuvants) are up to 1000 times more toxic than their isolated active ingredients. It further demonstrates that Glyphosate could increase the risk of fires, erosion and herbicide-resistant super weeds.
Please read Sustainable TamAlmonte's attached letter, dated October 14th, to the Supervisors for more details.
Public participation will be crucial in determining the future of herbicide use in Marin County. The Marin County Open Space District Staff recommend keeping pesticides in the "vegetation management tool box". If the Supervisors don't see significant public support for a non-herbicide approach to vegetation management, then they may vote for the current pro-pesticide-use plan and Marin's precious preserves will end up being contaminated.
Whether or not you can attend this meeting, please send comments to the Supervisors.
Recommended Comment:
"I (We) urge you to disapprove the Marin County Open Space District Vegetation and Biodiversity Management Plan and its Environmental Impact Report until they include a Pesticide-Free Alternative. I (We) further urge you to grant whatever funds are necessary to prepare the Pesticide-Free Alternative and its environmental review."
Marin County Board of Supervisors Contact Information:
BOS: bos@marincounty.org
Supervisor Kate Sears: ksears@marincounty.org
Supervisor Damon Connolly: dconnolly@marincounty.org
Supervisor Steve Kinsey: skinsey@marincounty.org
Supervisor Judy Arnold: jarnold@marincounty.org
Supervisor Katie Rice: krice@marincounty.org
Thank you in advance for your
participation.