A study by the Center found that plants and animals with this federally protected habitat are more than twice as likely to be moving toward recovery than species without it.
Source: Protecting Critical Habitat
50 years of Protecting critical habitat includes not spraying pesticides all over it. Just say’n national park service.
Fight the ongoing toxicity in our national parks (OTNP).
Our Toxic national parks (OTNP) Communication Summary
Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law Legislation S.1856-A/A.7640, known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This nation-leading legislation protects New York
Source: Gov. Hochul approves ‘Birds and Bees Protection Act’ to limit pesticides in New York
This is great! We continue to dribble along. But let me bet anyone out there that we are still spraying neonicotinoid pesticides _in_ our national parks. We really do need to get the indiscriminate use of pesticides stopped. In all of our national parks too.
Treasure Coast news and information in Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County, Florida
Source: Treasure Coast News, Sports, Weather, Business | Treasure Coast News
Holy Frack!😮 I didn’t know that 80% of us had glyphosate in our bodies. I’ve been accused many times of being too negative on pesticides but I don’t dwell on various aspects of them. I do know that the research that the agrochemical companies are doing is _not_ adequate. I am worried that the minimal care we spend in testing new drugs; especially comparing one drug against another, isn’t being done with pesticides. And isn’t even remotely close to what is necessary for chemicals who’s names end in c i d e — they were deliberately designed to kill biological organisms that are incredibly close to us genetically. Even our national parks have become toxic. Google “OTNP”. Good luck to us all!
Source: Impacts of Pesticides on Wildlife
direct or indirect application, such as pesticide drift, secondary poisoning, runoff into local water bodies, or groundwater contamination. It is possible that some animals could be sprayed directly; others consume plants or prey that have been exposed to pesticides.
Pesticide exposure can be linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, kidney and liver damage, birth defects, and developmental changes in a wide range of species. Exposure to pesticides can also alter an organism’s behavior, impacting its ability to survive. In birds, for example, exposure to certain pesticides can impede singing ability
Our national parks have become toxic. If you would really like to help our endangered species consider these ideas. What can anyone do about the pesticide use in our national parks.
On Oct 16 2023 I started looking for a National Park that I might be able to persuade to go completely non-poison. I went to the federal government’s FOIA page and filed a request for pesticide use information in our national parks. It said it could take up to a year. Online reports said that the national park system had 1,500 backlogged. I assume if they’re “backlogged” they are even beyond a year. This report suggested that The nps was just using them as a way of hiding information. The foia law is meant to stop that very thing but apparently there are no penalties for breaking federal law.
So I decided to start at the other end as well and I contacted Yosemite, Sequoia, and the Everglades National Parks individually.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/brief-summary-national-parks-pesticide-use/
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/our-national-toxic-parks/
Over dozens of emails none of the parks responded other than misinformation and junk links. Yosemite has been by far the worst with false links and “deliberate”? misinformation.
I believe this suggests a much wider use of toxins than I had imagined. I renamed this project our toxic national parks (OTNP). Do you think their behavior at answering legitimate questions has been toxic as well?
I finally contacted some of our National Environmental groups. To ask why they have not been reporting on the increasing use of pesticides in areas that are habitat for endangered species? And if they have any plans to ask the nps for pesticide application information. None but one has responded beyond a form letter that said that they had gotten the correspondence.
The Center For Biological Diversity has been a bright spot in much of this. They have an online database of their FOIA requests. That itself has been very helpful so far. And the data suggests that many of the pesticides being currently used in our national parks are toxic to the developing young of many of our endangered species.
Likewise the John Muir Society while not particularly helpful to me, seems to be doing more to challenge the nps then the sierra club, worldwide fund, and audubon society combined.
I believe that people who are at all truly concerned about endangered species and or widespread pesticide use should reconsider donations to the various organizations who are being unresponsive to simple questions regarding pesticide use in our national parks.
Unfortunately many of us really _believe_ that we can’t do anything against the power of the federal government and; in this case, the national park service (nps) But fortunately you can! It really does not take much effort. Just three things. And these things also benefit you! A win-win.
First) Instead of throwing money away by handing it to an environmental group that says it is, but really isn’t. Consider giving it to the groups that _are_ questioning the policy of the nps. The John Muir Society is fighting the nps for our Sequoias. The Center For Biological Diversity has sued the government several times for FOIA information … _and posts it online_ 😃 . This is actually where I got what little pesticide use data I’ve managed to get. They Rock!
This posting of Environmental FOIA data online is _huge_ and a real start into true sustainability. _Anyone_ can go to the Center For Biological Diversity’s website and ask their own questions. Notice I capitalized the Centers name. And yes, the groups above also do great work on climate change — maybe even better then those other groups! Actual data and real information may be vastly more important than fuzzy toys in that (or _any_) environmental fight as well.
Second) The next time you get an email advertisement for a cheap fuzzy animal toy, backpack, or sweatshirt from an environmental group (even one that will accept a car donation) google them. Google your favorite environmental group then search their site for “pesticide”. If they are not publishing actual pesticide _use_ statistics and data from our national parks and wilderness areas simply reconsider where you send your money. That really will be a huge start to changing the current state of affairs! We stop enabling the enablers, and we get more value for our money! Win-win-win.
Third) While you are on your favorite environmental group’s website grab the membership phone number and…. Make a 30sec call. Ask your favorite environmental group for the link where they publish their past FOIA request _data_. Not the self-serving _advertising_ that they file FOIA requests, but where they provide the actual _data_ they have gotten from the feds! If they are not putting it online and are instead hoarding it for themselves, then they are absolutely part of the problem, not part of a solution. They are not truly sustainable whatever they advertise. Here is a suggested email.
Environmental Formletter
Can you imagine the reaction if only 10 people called or emailed in a month? Can you imagine if only three of these people called or emailed repeatedly?
Can you imagine if all the past FOIA data about _our_ environment was freely available online!
Just those three things above.
1) think about who you send your money to.
2) & 3) Send an email like the environmental formletter suggested. Two at the same time what could be easier 😀
I believe that the _massive_ pesticide use in this country is virtually as important as climate change to the health and well-being of us all; particularly our _endangered species_, and our children! The beautiful and famous Los Angeles mountain lion P22 was crippled by pesticides. We are putting five times the volume of the entire Gulf of Mexico oil spill in just the active pesticide ingredients on this country _every single year_.
It takes just three easy steps and doesn’t cost you a dime more. The first really takes no time at all; just caring enough to think for a minute. The second and third takes maybe a minute or two. _You_ can encourage “them” to start walking the walk of Environmental Groups again. This really has the potential to allow 20 people to do more good than their entire year of recycling. Maybe even more than last year’s entire contribution to a big Environmental group that hasn’t been paying attention for 50 years 😊. Be well my friends!
It takes just three easy steps and doesn’t cost you a dime more.
Best to you all.
310-429-8477
Californians want to know what’s planned for the farm field across the street — not a mile across town.
I am floored by the fact that there is so much pesticide use _in_ our national parks. I have become a fan of the Center for Biological Diversity. This group is doing far more for the environment than the sierra club, audubon society, or world wildlife fund in my opinion. I believe that pesticide use is the biggest danger to our children and endangered wildlife. More so than climate change, certainly more so than fracking, and obviously more than the money you get from a stuffed owl or sweatshirt from China. I believe we need to rethink the leadership of the sierra club, audubon society, and world wildlife fund.
The best to you all!
Melanie Thank you so much for calling me Monday evening November 27th about Sequoia’s pesticide use. I was surprised. And I must admit it wasn’t until you mentioned your boss that I realized that you were in the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) department at Sequoia.
I did understand that you were going to email me your contact information and a few answers before now but despite having you read my email address back to me, I must have muddled it when I gave it to you.
I have also been trying to get contact information for the IPM department from Yosemite for almost 3 months now. Actually Sequoia also failed to respond in any way to my first request for pesticide usage information, but I had not yet discovered for myself the federal requirement for IPM departments. In half a dozen contacts with Yosemite, their superintendent’s office failed to even once mention or later admit that an IPM contact even existed. Once I had discovered that an IPM Department /contact was legally required by the parks, Yosemite then ignored specific requests for a contact. And to this day I do not have a contact for the Yosemite IPM Department.
You called them your “sister Park” so would it be possible for you to provide Yosemite’s IPM Department contact to me? The very same is true for the Everglades. This really just doesn’t look good to me at all — and actually _any_ of my friends — really.
I told you on our call that I am a little bit aware of, and very sympathetic towards, the deep issues the parks are trying to solve. I dearly love biology and follow many, many aspects of it.
It was very kind of you to explain how dedicated your IPM department is and how little pesticide use there actually is in the park. And how there is absolutely no need for me to worry at all. As I said to you, I believe that the parks could have been less antagonistic to me. Such as the lying by omission by the Yosemite Park’s superintendent’s office described above. I would certainly not be as concerned as I am now _if_ — as you told me — something like 80% of the pesticide use was for, and in, Park buildings. But of course the only way for me to understand _and verify_ that would be to get the data that I’m requesting. I am asking again for the public documents detailing all pesticide use in the Sequoia Park for the last 5 years (names, amounts, locations, and if applied by a contractor their license information) Melanie, sorry, I upped the time frame from what I told you on the phone in order to get some data before the covid changes that you pointed out in our chat. I hope your boss gives you the approval you thought he might to give these public documents to me.
Thank you for also explaining about the certification program. Does everyone in the IPM Department have to be certified? Is the certification program specific to the NPS? Who runs it (the IPM certification program)? And could you describe the different certification levels again? Or would there be a public internet page that describes this key aspect of the IPM Department? It is required by law but I don’t want to be a problem 😊 I would also really like to know who created the training videos that I have seen?
I have a contact who tried to send me a variety of links to IPM training but unfortunately many of the links required passwords and login information. Do you think it might be a really good idea to have a public /anonymous login to this system as a way of being more open /transparent about all aspects of pesticide use in Our National Parks?
Again you were _very_ helpful and your dedication to the park was clear and obvious to me. At the same time, I was a little disappointed and depressed that you were unaware that glyphosate was originally patented as an antibiotic and damages the soil food web. Would you have any idea how many other important details about the pesticides being used in Sequoia, the Everglades, or Yosemite have also not managed to get through the “training” administrators? Thank you so much for protecting our endangered species!
I am curious about Sequoia’s use of green pesticides such as neem oil. How would you compare the amounts of neem oil used to the amounts of glyphosate products you told me about? Far less, roughly equal, far more?
Is Sequoia National Park using any molt inhibitors of any kind to control mosquitoes?
You had mentioned talking to your boss about getting me the actual full data that I am requesting. Could you provide me his name (I’m not being chauvinistic, you mentioned that it was a he 😉) and his contact information?
And one last question a bit outside of your actual expertise so if you don’t know it is _okay_. I understand that the John Muir Project is concerned about and even suing Sequoia over the possible planting of Sequoia “seedling” material in the burned areas. I am wondering where is the online documentation as to how this material was grown, what laboratory they were grown in, and the specific organic material they were derived from? I am asking since, if the lawsuit is unsuccessful this Sequoia material would be with us for hundreds if not thousands of years. Do you think it might be better government transparency if the Sequoia Park had a better way of searching their website for this kind of information?
Melanie, I wish you and your husband the very best! Happy holidays!
Bob
www.puravidaaquatic.com/
www.puravidaaquatics.com/
310-429-8477
Source: Bullfrog – SAVE THE FROGS!
SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger addressed the California Fish & Game Commission’s Wildlife Resource Committee on January 13th, 2022, to discuss the state’s bullfrog importation program. Each year, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife issues permits for the importation of over two million American Bullfrogs
There is utterly no reason to be importing bullfrogs into California! They do irreparable harm to our native wildlife. They eat our little native Pacific chorus frogs, baby birds, and other native species. If you actually want to do something for the environment other than throwing a little money to some organization that says they will do it for you then talk to the fishing game department expressing your disappointment that we are importing 2 million! bullfrogs into California every year.
Source: Looking back on a century of poisoning predators
Please read the article above. I promise you it will be eye-opening.
excerpt:
This year, for example, marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Congress created the agency a century ago to trap, poison and kill predators and “varmints” across the West. The result was an ecological holocaust of strychnine-ridden carcasses and indiscriminate destruction up the food chain. We tried to kill coyotes; we brought death to eagles instead.
The agency’s goal was to eliminate predators to foster game populations of deer and elk, and to reduce losses by stockmen who raised sheep and cattle.
Does this sound at all familiar to you in 2023?
Back in 1915, the words “ecology” and “environment” were unknown.
It seems that many of us are still struggling with these words.
