Oregon forests under the control of the private logging industry are being bombarded with pesticides such as 2,4-D, Velossa and Atrazine - toxic agents harmful to humans, animals and the environment. They do this to comply with Oregon regulations that require replanted trees subsequent to clear-cutting to be "free to grow" unencumbered by weeds and shrubs. These mass applications of toxic chemicals kill everything except for the douglas fir saplings. Folks are getting sick, our streams are being polluted, and our animals are being slaughtered. Logging companies have cited pesticide application as being a cheaper method to comply with regulations than hand weeding.

You should support this petition because our quality of life here in Oregon matters. We want to call on Salem to address this issue, by banning the practice of aerial pesticide application on Oregon forestland, by incentivizing alternative methods of compliance with current regulations or by making changes to these regulations that will eliminate the need to use pesticides.

I started this petition because my parents live near Weyerhaeuser land in Cottage Grove, Oregon. I have seen the devastating consequences of their actions on the land and our surrounding community. Sure, they have brought jobs to the region. But jobs are no excuse for irresponsibility to our posterity. And maybe hand-weeding requirements would provide even more jobs for the community.