HomeMy WebLinkAbout082619_ra01 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Commissioner Kate Dean
DATE: August 26, 2019
RE: Draft Letter Regarding Board of Commissioners' and Community Concerns
with Forest Practices and Aerial Spraying of Herbicides
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: The Board of County Commissioners will consider finalizing a
draft letter to state officials, organizations and working groups, as well as to Pope Resources
regarding concerns about forest practices and aerial spraying of herbicides in Jefferson County.
ANALYSIS: Recent court cases, public health studies, and changes by Pope Resources in
managing their timber holdings in neighboring Kitsap County, have increased awareness and
environmental and public health questions about aerial spraying of herbicides, particularly
herbicides that contain glyphosate, as a forest management practice to support seedling growth in
harvested timber lands. Recent and planned aerial applications of herbicides on Pope lands in
Jefferson County put particular focus on potential impacts to drinking water supplies, agriculture
and organic farms, as well as potential impacts to insect populations including pollinators, and on
wildlife and human health, especially people whose health is already compromised or at risk.
Under Washington State law, forest practices on private timber lands are regulated and permitted
by the Department of Natural Resources. Herbicide application is regulated by the Washington
State Department of Agriculture. Recent state legislation (SSB 5597 and SSB 5550) has created
two working groups to evaluate aerial spraying and herbicide application safety, each with state
legislators, multiple state agencies, and public and private stakeholders.
The attached draft letter is addressed to state officials, organizations and the two working groups,
as well as to Pope Resources.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A.
RECOMMENDATION: Review the draft letter, consider any edits the Board may wish to
make, and once finalized, adopt a motion to approve the letter for signature by all three County
Commissioners.
' EW D BY:
'hilip Morley , o)my Administrator Date
DRAFT
August 26, 2019
Washington State Aerial Herbicide Application Working Group
Washington State Pesticide Application Safety Committee
Washington State Forest Practices Board
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz
Derek Sandison, Director, Washington State Department of Agriculture
John Wiesman, Secretary of Health
Kelly Susewind, Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Governor Jay Inslee
Thomas M. Ringo, President & Chief Executive Officer, Pope Resources
RE: Forest Practices and Aerial Herbicide Applications
Dear Aerial Herbicide Application Working Group members, Pesticide Application Safety
Committee members, Forest Practices Board members, Commissioner Franz, Director Sandison,
Secretary Wiesman, Director Susewind, Governor Inslee, and Mr. Ringo,
The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners joins neighboring jurisdictions in voicing our
concerns for the aerial spraying of glyphosate-based herbicides and other toxic chemicals on
forestland. While we highly value the forest industry as an important part of the economy in the
region, we ask you as the appropriate regulators and policy makers and timberland owner to
work with the industry to move away from this potentially harmful practice, and to pursue other
methods for managing commercial forests.
As you know, in 2015 the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on
Cancer classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. And in 2019, researchers at
the University of Washington found that agricultural workers exposed to high levels of
glyphosate have a higher risk of contracting non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A Washington State
University study found second and third generation health effects in rats from Roundup, which
contains glyphosate. Given these potential risks, and particularly the imprecision of aerial
application, we encourage you to employ the precautionary principle and prohibit aerial spraying
of known and suspected toxins.
Like many areas of the Pacific Northwest, Jefferson County is experiencing more residential
development in close proximity to commercial timber operations. This creates compatibility
issues, including concerns about the proximity of herbicides and other chemicals. This concern
is heightened given the number of our residents with drinking water supplies, working farms and
organic foods near forestland, which are potentially at risk of contamination from aerial
applications.
Similarly, Jefferson County is a haven for outdoor recreation. We are concerned about water
quality impacts due to aerial spraying on our recreational and fishing lakes and streams. We are
unaware of any required testing or monitoring for these chemicals to measure impacts to
drinking or surface waters, which provides little assurance that the practice is indeed safe.
We encourage your respective organizations to:
Research other methods and best practices as alternatives to aerial spraying of glyphosate
and other potentially harmful chemicals used in commercial forestry;
Develop a testing and monitoring protocol for water quality in watersheds where toxic
chemicals are applied;
Prohibit the aerial application of known and suspected carcinogens.
Many of our constituents are passionately fearful for the health of this community and the
ecosystems that support it. We believe that commercial timber companies can be allies in
preserving the world-class forests that have existed here for millennia. We implore you, as the
agencies and boards responsible for setting policy and regulation, and as a company with major
timber holdings in Jefferson County, to find solutions that balance the well-being of our residents
with the viability of the timber industry.
We would be happy to work with you to address this issue. In the meantime, please don't
hesitate to reach out if you would like to discuss this issue further.
Thank you for considering our concerns and working to ensure we have healthy and productive
forests that are managed in a manner that preserves human health and protects the environment,
Kate Dean David Sullivan Greg Brotherton
Commissioner Dist. 1 Commissioner Dist. 2 Commissioner Dist. 3
CC: Senator Kevin Van de Wege
Senator Christine Rolfes
Representative Steve Tharinger
Representative Mike Chapman
Jefferson County Board of Health
Port Townsend City Council
Jefferson County Public Utility District #1