>From: "Paul van Westendorp <PVANWESTEN@GAL>AXY.GOV.BC.CA> >Date:
Wed, 28 Jun 1995 09:18:00 -0700
>Subject: Re: Purple Loosetrife EA June 95
> I suggest you check the facts and broaden your horizon by not just
argiung from a beekeeping perspective.
Hello Paul,
Hard not to think like a poor beekeeper after 40 plus seasons
supported by the bees. If I am skeptical about government plans
to alter the naturalization of Purple Loosetrife it is only my
own opinion based on my own experience with similar government
plans, most recently, to spray to death Mesquite and Cat Claw
on government lands on the Mexican boarder of Arizona, because
it was competition for Oak trees. We, (my x wife and myself) won
that one with the help of a coalition of environmental groups
and much political effort over several years. And to eradicate
Yellow Star Thistle, one of the principal surplus Honey plants
of Northern California and the introduction before ER's and
AP's were required, of a weevil to do the same to the great
SAGE range of Central and Southern California. Not to even
mention the government search and destroy mission on bee's for
mites and the "Tex-Mex" bee quarantine based on pure Bee
Science that will not be valid US regulatory science in the
year 2000 or anytime before if any beekeeper were to mount a
serious challenge.
In both of the projects involving introduced plant pest insects
nothing has been demonstrated but to lessen the value of these
native and naturalized plants as bee forage plants and create
evil area's of sick and dieing plants where once stood
beautiful healthy productive plants that were once forage for
someone's bee's, God's or those kept by man.
> Indeed, Loosestrife has become an important plant to some beekeepers
in some areas but I would argue that beekeeping in north America
(ps this issue is not limited to the US but includes Canada)
did just fine a few decades ago before Loosestrife was introduced
> and became a serious weed.
Yes, I know and understand that argument, in fact it could be said
that since Honey Bee's are not native to the US or Canada that life
was as good then, before honey bees, as now and little would be
lost and many lives saved if all Honey Bee's were killed by
varroa mites also a pest that was not supposed to live on Honey
Bees according to the best minds in the scientific community
who have lost nothing by being wrong at the time they made those
scientific observations and statements.
Loosetrife may be a serious weed to you and other's in your
area, I would not be the one to dispute that, it is not to me in
my own neighborhood or do I know any beekeeper who believes
that it is, other then what I have gleaned from the post's I
have made on the subject of the EA. In my opinion and
experience Purple Loosetrife is a beautiful naturalized wild
flower, worthy of the home garden and beneficial to honey
bee's and bumble bees, and other insects. We here are blessed with
several of the dozen or so native species that grow in the US
that in fact will also be damaged by the introduction of these
new pest insects that we only have the work and opinions of a
small handful of scientists and their follower's they will not in
time harm other plants. The EA plan only list's 17 papers as
reference by 10 authors hardly adequate for a project that will
effect people and their land use in 48 states.
> The weed has been so remarkably successful as an invader of wetlands,
bogs, ditches, etc. because no natural enemies were there to
limit it. For many areas this weed has been an ecological
disaster where it caused many native plants to dwindle if not
disappear. This also had serious effects on the fauna in many
> of these areas.
Los Banos, my home for most of my adult life was once a market
hunting area from waterfowl. It continues to be an important
waterfowl and wildlife area with several large refuges and many
duck hunting clubs. We also have much rice farmed here and I am
not a stranger to the wetlands, rice patties and marsh and bogs
and some of the remarkable bee pasture plants that grow in them.
I have never killed a duck, I am a rank conservationist and a
life member of the Whooping Crane Society and I personally
have made a marsh garden in my own back yard surrounding three
fish pounds and have collected many bog plants over the years
and even am visited each winter by a few rare water birds that
proceeded to clean my pounds of baby fish with any color.
I have seen nothing done in the government wetlands, the private
wetlands or the agricultural wetlands that would not have to be
done with or without Purple Loosetrife or the native verities
that grow wild here. Yes wetlands do require planning, capital,
and work the same as growing rice, or a back yard water garden.
The use of indiscriminate pesticides and chemicals to control
pests and weeds is a well know problem that is being more or
less successfully addressed by those concerned with protecting
the environment. The pending release of these 3 or more plant
pests that will indiscriminately destroy the naturalized
Purple Loosetrife and it's native relatives is not legitimized
because some would claim it's though or hoped to be a
environmentally sound plan.
I believe that all the wetlands in this area which no doubt will be
a target for the release of these pests because of the government
wetlands, which suffer today not for the good care they are
receiving, but the lack of it, nothing will change, except there
will be one man's problem plant replaced by another and less
pasture for honey bee's. The lack of labor is the problem or
the lack of funding for it. Program's such as the planned
release of these plant pest's look good to government planners
and are easy sells to bureaucrats, politicians and the public
because the initial cost is low and the buzz words are right.
I do not believe that make's it right or the best plan.
> The release of the three biological agents is in my view an excellent
proposal and environemntally sound. It does not mean that
Loosestrife will disappear (we don't talk here about eradication)
but that some control is achieved and that Loosestrife will
take its "appropriate" place within plant communities without
> being over-dominant.
It is as many as five plant pests that may be released from coast
to coast, tested only superficially for a limited amount of time on
a small number of prospective host plants. These pests will not be
confined to government wet lands and are expected to invade private
wet lands as well as back yard gardens that have enjoyed the
ornamental value of Purple Loosetrife and it's many variants for
many years.
> Biological control agents are environmentally attractive because without
them people generally resort to the chronic use of pesticides which
> are much more damaging, especially when used in wetlands and bogs.
I guess a lot depends on the eye's of the bee holder on what is,
or not "environmentally attractive". I am not convinced that
diseased, dying or dead Purple Loosetrife plants are a attractive
addition to my environment and know from personal experience that
this will become another costly clean up project in many areas
that won't happen.
Some old time beekeepers would say that since early in World War
II, when pesticides were first spread from air planes over a wide
area in California and elsewhere, someone has been trying to use
pesticides to kill our bees. Never did they get them all, and never
have so many reported the complete lack of feral bee's in our
wood's and cities as today. This is thought by many to be the
direct result of a pin head sized insect pest introduced into
the America's by accident. A insect studied by scientists in its
own native lands who at the time did not expect it to be a
problem of Honey Bees. It makes no sense to me to take the
same approach and chance with 5 foreign plant pest insects
introduced to predicate Purple Loosetrife because a few say it
will never destroy more then 10% of that bee pasture resource.
That 10% may be a 100% of the native Lossetrife in my area. I
can't stretch my imagination to include the reduction of bee
pasture as being environmentally right, and only in my nightmares
do I see a world stood still or put back 50 or 100 years as some
would have it because it would be advantages ecologically or
environmentally.
Purple Loosetrife is a naturalized useful plant resource that
provides food for bee's, and other insects. It's time we
learned to utilized our natural resources and enjoy the natural
changes in our environments that we can not change, but surely
can mess up trying.
Who in any government can make real guarantee's that one or
more of these five pests will not favor some other wild flower
or crop and cost millions of pounds of additional pesticide use
to control it. No one dare suggest's that the loss of bee pasture
be compensated for on public or private wetlands, but I am sure if
a good plan goes bad and crop's are lost or damaged by these
foreign insects some will think compensation would be a good idea.
> Although I am not familiar with the approval procedures used by US
agencies, but as I stated in a previous e-mail, the significance
of this proposal may not be great because the exact same control
> agents were released in Canada some years ago.
This is good that in your area it is working without problems,
you are certainty fortunate to be ahead of us. But then
Purple Loosestrife must no longer be a problem to the people of
Canada or soon will not be, it's good to bee on the winning team.
Here any individual can make comment pro or con on this
Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Release of non native
insect pests targeted to damage the naturalized wildflower Purple
Loosestrife and have reasonable expectations that what is said or
written will be considered in the final decision without regards
to his or her status.
I encourage all to do so, pro I hope or con.. Comments must be
received on or before July 12, 1995. Send comments to:
Robert Schallenberger, Chief, Division of Refuges, U.S Fish and
Wildlife Service. 600 ARLSQ, 1849 C. St., NW, Washington, D.C.
20240.
ttul Andy-
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