Don't spend tax dollars on chemicals

The Bonner County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force is a group of people who have been meeting every week or so since September to put together a grant request to control Eurasian milfoil in the Lake Pend Oreille system with minimum ecological damage. They have each spent over 100 hours of their own time researching information and providing speakers in areas of ecologically sound alternatives to the toxic treatment of milfoil used last year (400,000 gallons of dangerous herbicides — much of which was near swimming and migratory bird nesting areas, with inadequate warning to swimmers).

Their strategy for an integrated approach would take Lake Pend Orielle completely away from herbicides, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, using native milfoil weevils, solarbee equipment, bottom dredging, and public education to prevent further infestation of the noxious weed.

The committee was stunned when the grant was only partially approved, denying funds for virtually all treatment options except chemical herbicides, even not funding the community education. The reason given was the "wording" of the ISDA grants, apparently changed by Representative Eric Anderson to read "eradicate" milfoil instead of "manage," and anything which isn't "eradication" was automatically denied. The committee is seeking financial support for the environmentally friendly control options.

I don't want my tax dollars to go toward further poisoning of the environment. Eighty percent of the bees in this country are dead. This year millions of fish died in Colorado and thousands of migratory birds in Texas and Southern Idaho. The chemical pollution of our world must stop. Please write state representatives to change the wording so the ISDA might honor grant requests, as submitted, and we might preserve our beautiful lake from additional toxic assault.

ANNE WILDER CHAMBERLAIN

Priest River