Our request for help is URGENT. Weyerhaeuser could begin chemical applications as early as Monday 8/27/18. Help us urge Weyerhaeuser to use alternative methods in their forest vegetation management practices.

Out for a walk along South Shore Drive on Monday 8/20/18, a community member spotted a barely legible notice on what looked like standard-sized printer paper. This notice was posted at the entrance to logging sites West of Lake Cavanaugh in Mount Vernon. Basically, it reads the logged area will now be sprayed with glyphosate (Roundup), imazapry, metasulfuron methyl, sulfometuron methyl and methylated seed oil (surfactant). There was no outreach beyond these tiny signs. The sign said to contact Kelly Dougherty at Weyerhaeuser with concerns. Our community has discussed our concerns with her to no avail.

Since it's such a large area, Weyerhaeuser will conduct ground applications followed by aerial applications as early as the week of August 27th, 2018. This is incredibly troubling not only because of the known health risks of these chemicals and their carcinogenic nature, but also because of its close proximity to Lake Cavanaugh and its watershed - a drinking water source for many of the residents on the lake. The lake provides resources not just for its human residents, but wildlife as well.

Even if Weyerhaeuser is found to be in compliance with the rules and regulations put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (both who regulate these chemicals), as well as the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (which issues permits for the chemical application process), our community’s goal is to get Weyerhaeuser to stop using them in our area based on the growing body of evidence indicating their detrimental health effects to humans and animals.

The push-back against this type of product, and glyphosate in particular, is widespread and growing. Monsanto, who makes Roundup, has 8,000 pending lawsuits alleging its glyphosate-based product gave the plaintiffs or their loved ones cancer. The World Health Organization labels glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. France has banned its use. Italy has banned it use. The European Union is working on banning its use. Arkansas has banned its use during the summer. The state of California has labeled it a probable carcinogen. California’s city of Santa Rosa has banned its use where children play. The Oakland hills are working to prevent its use. Our local neighbors in Kitsap and Jefferson counties, as well as the Skykomish River Valley are also working to prevent its use by their local logging outfits. The list goes on.

As it says on our community website, "Not only is Lake Cavanaugh a beautiful place to live and play, but we also pride ourselves in being a small community that works together toward common goals." Right now, our common goal is to protect our beautiful lake, the families around it, our watershed and our ecosystem.

Please help us stop this poisonous event. Your signature asks Weyerhaeuser to be a responsible neighbor, stop using these chemicals in our area, and instead opt for safe alternative methods in their forest vegetation management practices. 

More information:

Chemical Spraying page at www.svena.org 

RCW 70.54.010 “Polluting Water Supply – Penalty” http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70.54.010

Drift and accidental exposure during aerial applications happens! Read the story below.
Timberland Herbicide Spraying Sickens a Community
https://www.hcn.org/issues/46.19/timberland-herbicide-spraying-sickens-a-community