ACTION ALERT: County Announces Plan to Test-Spray Roundup In Tucson Mountain Park to Eradicate Bufflegrass

By Mike Dayton

Saturday's AZ Daily Star indicated that twelve one acre parcels of "rugged" Tucson Mountain land near Kennedy park (Ajo and Mission area) will be sprayed aerially at a height of 30-40 feet with droplets of Monsanto's RoundUp to rid the area of overgrowths of buffle grass.

We all recognize the threat of this invasive plant and are supportive of eradicating it. However to jump from eradication of individual plants to wholesale spraying from a plane or helicopter is an alarming and dangerous overreaction.

To those of us committed to the preservation of our desert lands, this is a call to action. No one knows, and the article makes it clear, no one knows what the effect of RoundUp is on desert plant, animal and human life.

We do know what the effect is of RoundUp on plants in other regions: except for the cultivated plant is genetically altered to be "RoundUp resistant", this Monsanto herbicide, which contains dioxin, is a threat to every plant it touches. Our cacti, succulents, desert medicines, ground cover and precious animals are not to be targets for these dangerous chemicals!

Supervisor Richard Elias and Sharon Bronson (Sharon's area of jurisdiction includes the Tucson Mountains) have expressed concern, according to the article. the article also stated that no public announcement would be made as to when the spraying would occur. This is clearly against the law. Individuals residing within a radious the areas where pesticides are to be sprayed must be notified in advance.

If you are concerned about drops of RoundUp being rained on our fragile desert environments, you can do two things
1)Notify all of your associates of this dangerous action being taken by the County Parks and Recreation Department and urge people to take action.
2) Call your county supervisor tomorrow and make your concerns known. State that buffle grass is a pest, but that RoundUp sprayed overhead in droplets could be terminal for the soil and literally millions of other plants and animals in the vicinity.

Board of Supervisors.... 740-8126
Dist. 1 Ann Day(R).... 740-2738
Dist. 2 Ramon Valadez (D)... 740-8126
Dist. 3 Sharon Bronson (D, Tucson Mtns area is in her district, so if you live in her district by all means call her)...740-8051
Dist. 4 Ray Carroll (R)... 740-8094
Dist. 5 Richard Elias (D, Chair)... 740-8126
County Administrator Chuck Huckleberry ... 740-8661


From the way the article reads, it seems imperative that as a community we act at once.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/302329.php