Seattle, March 9 -- The Interbay P-Patch, an organic community garden of 129 gardeners, has voted to oppose the Washington State Department of Agriculture's proposed helicopter spraying of insecticide Foray 48B over Ballard-Magnolia neighborhoods. According to a WSDA press release, "the purpose of the proposed treatment is to eliminate an infestation of Asian Gypsy Moth."
"One Gypsy Moth does not constitute an 'infestation,' " say Interbay Co-Site Coordinators Ray Schutte and Jon Rowley. "The finding of one moth simply does not justify bombardment of 2,200 properties in a high-density residential area with insecticide. We object to the WSDA's reckless disregard of biodiversity, the most effective natural control of any pest or disease. Disrupting Nature's food web only creates more problems."
WSDA's "Determination of Non-Significance" enables it to carry out spraying plans without an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or meaningful public process. Yet by its own admission, the WSDA does not have a staff ecologist with training to assess food web implications of such a drastic action. "The 'Determination of Non-Significance' lacks adequate environmental and social impact assessments," say Rowley and Schutte. "A massive butterfly kill isn't insignificant. We challenge the WSDA's conclusion of non-significance; we demand an appropriate Environmental Impact Statement and appropriate public process."
The proposed WSDA aerial spraying of Ballard and Magnolia neighborhoods will unnecessarily devastate non-target butterflies and moths. As well as being important pollinators, butterflies are objects of beauty and wonderment enjoyed by children of all ages. Feeding on flower nectar, parasitic wasps are important pollinators in gardens and area flora. Many species of parasitic wasps (a garden like Interbay can attract 50-100 species) require moth larva to reproduce. The moth deposits eggs in the head of the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, wasp larva consume its host, effectively controlling caterpillar infestations.
US Forest Service scientific reviews contain documented "reduced longevity" in bees from the spraying of Btk, the active ingredient in Foray 48B.
Healthy gardens and healthy ecosystems depend on healthy soil. Healthy soil has a rich and varied biota. One spoonful of healthy soil contains as many as 3 billion organisms comprising some 15, 000 species, only 5,000 of which have names. What is the impact of this insecticide on the soil biota? "While it is difficult to comprehend the complexity and interrelationships of healthy soil communities," say Rowley and Schutte, "we always reap benefits by encouraging biological diversity below and above the ground in any way we can. We see it working every time we go to the garden."
Interbay P-Patch gardeners are dismayed by WSDA's stated position that: "The [Washington State Department of Agriculture] director shall not make public information which in the director's judgment should be privileged or confidential because it contains or relates to trade secrets or commercial or financial information. The ingredients of Foray 48B meet this requirement and we, therefore, are not at liberty to release the specific formulation of this product." When WSDA refuses to disclose inert insecticide ingredients, we can only assume Foray 48B contains chemicals we don't want to see coming out of the air onto the gardens and residents of Ballard-Magnolia.
The Interbay P-Patch suggests the following benign alternatives to keep the gypsy moth, if indeed we have a problem, in check:
The Interbay P-Patch community garden, established in 1975, provides nearly two tons of organic produce annually to area Food Banks, provides compost training and organic gardening workshops, workshops on wildlife habitat, and various community outreach. In 2000, the Interbay P-Patch plans a comprehensive wildlife enhancement program, including a garden wide approach to attracting beneficial insects with variety of flower plantings. "We hope to see a haze of insects over Interbay this summer." The Interbay P-Patch is open to the public seven days a week..
Interbay P-Patch Invites Public to View Biodiversity
While WSDA is proposing aerial spraying, the Interbay P-Patch, 15th Avenue West and West Wheeler, invites the public to Biodiversity Open Houses from 1:00-3:00 p.m. each Saturday. "We want to show the public the butterflies and moths that will be lost to spraying, the parasitic wasps that depend on moth larva to reproduce, the moth-eating birds and so on. Our first concern should be the web of life, the sanctity of life." For information call: Ray Schutte (206) 318-4799.