This debate is getting heated.  Great.  To me though,  the influx of purple
loosestrife is equivalent to a hypothetical invasion of turfgrass throughout
the wild prairie lands of North America.  We're turning biological diversity
into a monoculture wasteland.  Purple flowers are beautiful, but that's no
reason to seek out every rampantly growing flower of the world and try to
encourage their growth here, nor is it a reason then to let p. loosestrife
keep on eradicating previously diverse and rich wetland habitats.  The bees
will manage with less p. loosestrife.  They've managed to survive for
millions of years, they'll continue after we've disappeared from the face of
the earth.
Marc Patry
Eastern Ontario Model Forest
Kemptville, Ontario
K0G 1J0  Canada
 
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