Where are we headed and where do we go from here?

Bonner County applied close to 600,000 pounds of herbicides to our waterways over the past two years in attempt to eradicate Eurasian watermilfoil. Given every expert in the field of aquatic weeds that Bonner Counties Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force has heard from assures us that "eradication" is not just unrealistic, but virtually impossible. From this it seems clear that our battle with this noxious weed will not end any time soon.

John Madsen of Mississippi State University, stated in his draft 2007 fall survey of Lake Pend Oreille, prepared for the state of Idaho, that "There was significant increase in the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil from the pre-treatment assessment survey to the post treatment assessment survey when all control techniques were pooled."

We have taken this information and decided that applying yet another 200,000 (or so) pounds, in virtually the same areas, totaling nearly $5 million of taxpayer dollars to date, in hopes that it may give us desired results.

If you are the mindset that these herbicide applications carry no risk to the ecology or economy of Bonner County, believe we will eradicate or control milfoil indefinitely with several treatments, and are confident that the funding for this type of program will continue in perpetuity, think again.

The repeated application of potentially millions of pounds of herbicides to our recreational treasure and source of much of the city's drinking water is not only shortsighted, but irresponsible. I believe that it has and will continue to affect decisions of those considering a move or a vacation to this area, thus directly affecting the economy in which Bonner County relies on so heavily.

Many who have researched this issue believe a biological approach to this problem holds great potential. Now is the time to determine its viability in our system. The milfoil weevil has been used successfully in other parts of the county. It is a native insect to our lake. A weevil program would simply supplement the existing weevil population, tipping the scales to benefit the weevil rather than the milfoil.

Paradise Lake in Michigan stocked 14,000 weevils in only 1998-'99, and seven years post treatment, their milfoil is still under control. Van Etten Lake, stocked 130,000 weevils 2000-'02, five years post treatment, milfoil controlled. Eagle Lake, 25,000 weevils stocked 2002-'03, four years post treatment, milfoil controlled, and this is naming just a few. Jennifer Parsons at the Washington Department of Ecology stocked weevils in a lake for two years, seemingly unsuccessful after stocking low numbers, only to return three years after she stopped her research to find that the weevils had taken hold and the milfoil is currently controlled.

Now's the time for local citizens, who are concerned, to become more vocal, active, and involved in the development of a more comprehensive program. Either that or be satisfied that annual herbicide treatments to the lake are its future.

? Steve Holt is a member of the Panhandle Environmental League and can be reached at 263-2217 or by e-mail at sholt.pel@gmail.com.'