Large-scale "hack-and-squirt" herbicide use poses increased forest fire, environmental risks!
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Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC) and its sister-company Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC) currently are practicing a method of forestry called ‘hack and squirt’ to poison tree species such as tanoak. This procedure uses a non-selective broad-spectrum herbicide called Imazapyr -- applied by cutting around the base of a tree and spraying into the open wound.
MRC and HRC have applied herbicides to over 100,000 acres of their ownerships since 1999, or roughly one fourth of their total holdings. Since 2012 alone, MRC has killed over 5 million trees on 24,000 acres!
Although tanoaks play an important ecological role in forest succession and recovery, the companies are using hack-and-squirt eradication because it is the cheapest way to get rid of less-marketable tree species that may compete with the more-profitable redwood or Douglas-fir.
But research indicates increased fire intensity is one result of leaving standing dead trees on the landscape! The dead trees thereby pose a risk to firefighters and nearby residents and communities. The use of these toxins also may pose threats to water quality and wildlife.
Forest Forever has teamed up to support a group of local activists in Mendocino County to get an initiative on the ballot for June 2016 that would declare the leaving of dead standing trees a public nuisance and make the person or persons responsible liable for the hazard.
Forests Forever flyover of Mendocino Redwood Company industrial timber lands
on July 22, 2015 to observe Hack 'n' Squirt forestry.
IF YOU ARE A MENDOCINO RESIDENT AND YOU WANT TO HELP HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Vote in favor of the citizens initiative “Shall the People of Mendocino County Declare Intentionally Killed and Left Standing Trees a Public Nuisance?” on the June 2016 primary ballot.
- Get friends and family to sign the petition! Locations to sign and copies of the petition can be found at: CitizensForFireSafeForests.com
- Contact Forests Forever (below) to volunteer to collect signatures or otherwise help the campaign as needed.
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