CURRENT FOCUS

TWO OUT OF THREE BOULDER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (Claire Levy & Marta Loachamin) VOTE TO CONTINUE  AERIAL SPRAYING AGAINST 81% OF PUBLIC

On November 19th, 2024,  Boulder County Commissioners Board voted regarding changes to the county Weed Management Plan after much dissent from the public on pesticide use and aerial spraying. Commissioners Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin voted for aerial spraying and to continue using pesticides county wide. This vote contrasts with the county’s own survey of the public, who clearly stated (81%) they did want pesticides used; especially with aerial application. Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann, a chemical engineer who spoke of the dangers of this experimental Bayer/Monsanto product being aerial sprayed (Rejuvra) whom the BCPOS’s Weed Spacialist’s son (Derick Sebastian) patented, voted with the public on ending pesticide use, but was voted out by the other two commission

HISTORY:
Lyons Climate Action coalition presented on January 23rd, 2023 to Commissioner Claire Levy with 2 professors of regenerative agriculture (Professor Michael Katutwa–AZ State University and Hunter Lovins (Professor of sustainability at Bard’s University), a 50+ year chemist (Peter Cowdery), Goats Green, LLC, and Kathleen Sands gave research on the public health effects of pesticides (from CU and many other sources) on health effects to pets and humans as well as soil and climate. Additionally, CU Professor Timothy Seastead sat on a panel of experts for BCPOS’s advisory committee (POSAC) to discuss alternative means of weed management and gave them dozens of studies regarding the success of these methods on managing weeds and insisted that Parks & Open Space should be focusing on CDA List A and B weeds, not List C since BCPOS is aerial spraying for years for cheatgrass, a List C (not required to manage) weed. He also discussed his opinion and studies with the County Commissioners. One of the people from the public, who attended the hearing yesterday, stated that there were revisions made to the IWMP (and voted on) that were not reviewed by the public and believed that was against state and county regulation (Pesticide Applicator’s Act). CU Professor of Landscapes, Dr. Robert Brackenridge also shared his several decades of studies on pesticide harms and sustainable land management. Several fire experts also commented in public meetings that pesticide use was not useful for fire mitigation and this is the main reason BCPOS gives for using pesticides for mitigating weeds, especially cheatgrass. None of these experts’ advice were taken into consideration and BCPOS admitted in several hearings that they were “not experts” and had to rely on experts to make these decisions. The only experts they could cite, and who showed up to POSAC meetings in favor of pesticide use, were employees of and close associates of Bayer/Monsanto–the manufacturer of the product they are aerial spraying (and spot spraying) in 3 counties. The public was “thrown a bone” by removing the use of helicopters, but were replaced by drones. Glyphosate and 2D-4D were removed, but will also be replaced with one of a dozen other harmful chemicals.

The county commissioners held a hearing on May 23rd, 2024 and hundreds from the public attended and spoke against the use of pesticides including many experts in the field of sustainability, ecology, environmental engineers, chemistry, climate experts, etc.

Much of the public didn’t know about this hearing and we believe they should be informed; especially pesticide sensitive people who need to leave their homes when they are spraying.

Video of hearing Nov 19, 2024

As you likely know, the Boulder County commissioner’s hearing on May 23rd, regarding herbicide use and aerial spraying, was mostly decided in favor of BCPOS and not the public. We gained a few chemicals being removed and helicopter spraying, but added drones spraying.

Commissioner Ashely Stolzmann was ready on that day to adopt the CU Professors’ chemical free Weed Plan, and only needed 1 more vote. However, both Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin (who usually follows Claire’s lead) voted with BCPOS. This basically adopted the same Weed Plan they’ve used for 20 years which favors petrol chemical use. This plan is supposed to be integrated with natural methods, but BCPOS doesn’t believe that non chemical methods work despite the fact that dozens of experts in ecology and land management testified over the past 18 months that they work better long term because of soil biome/health. Not to mention that pesticides release carbon and prevent carbon sequestration–a double whammy against our climate.

The only way to get pesticides/herbicides out of the Weed Plan for open spaces is to get Ashley a 2nd vote. There is an independent candidate running in District 1 who is environmentally based named Jed Buckner. He would be that 2nd vote on pesticides, GMOs, oil & gas, cloud seeding and more, All we need is 1000 signatures by July 11th and we’ve already gathered many at the Farmer’s Market in Longmont.

LCA vows to take this chemical free Weed Plan (once adopted) to surrounding counties. Ashley says, “It’s only 1 business meeting in January to do this, but she doesn’t have enough votes on the board.”. In this climate crisis, we cannot wait 4 more years with commissioners that want the status quo. This is the kind of work that is essential to slow global warming; local environmental decisions in our county can be a role model for other counties and beyond.

The City of Boulder has managed weeds virtually chemical free for some time now as well as several other municipalities in the State and globally. This is very important for the climate, wildlife/pets and public health. Once adopted, I will take this plan to other counties as well to increase the impact.
…and share this link with your community, friends and social media–regarding the vast amounts of herbicides used on our Boulder County Open spaces. https://www.pesticidesbouldercounty.org/.

Please contact me to sign the PETITON for demanding that Boulder County Open Space (BCPOS) stops aerial spraying pesticides, on our open spaces, in a program called Restore Colorado 22 Big Game Aerial Spray Program, to kill cheatgrass with an experimental herbicide called Rejuvra/Indaziflam.The problem is that it kills all plants, flowers (hurting our pollinators) and grasses that sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife as well as erosion control–especially during a flood. Inevitably it ends up in waterways and ruins the biome of the soil promoting more weeds. There are NO long term studies on the efficacy nor safety of this toxic chemical which is only conditionally registered with the EPA. There are far better ways to control weeds that are already in the BC Weed Management Plan such as controlled burns, hand pulling and mowing.

See below for more information on recent history of aerial spraying:

SCIENCE FROM CU SHOWS HARMS OF PESTICIDES/HERBICIDES AND HOW TO MANAGE WEEDS WITHOUT CHEMICALS

This aerial spray campaign called Restore Colorado 22, along the front range in 3 counties (Larimer, Boulder & Jeffco) involving Bayer/Monsanto employees. The program claims to be trying to control cheatgrass for fire mitigation and to protect elk and deer feed. However, CU professors, one of which is a top expert on cheatgrass (Dr. Timothy Seastead) wrote 11 papers on the topic locally, says that cheatgrass is
NOT an issue, nor spread in 10 years here) and states it has become an important part of our ecosystem. The CDA agrees with him categorizing cheatgrass as List C, or not required to manage. Dr. Seastead is also a fire mitigation expert, states that cheatgrass is NOT a fire hazard and local fire Chief Zick agreed in a public town hall on fire mitigation. All other fire experts and land managers present agreed.

They agreed that resources would be better spent on mitigating trees. Ranger Pete in BC states that elk and deer populations are so high that they have to increase hunting licenses meaning their food sources are abundant and that elk and deer eat the cheatgrass in the winter before their favorite foods come up in the Spring.

Ogallala Farms, in Longmont, lost 350,000 bees on October 17, 2022 on the day BCPOS spot sprayed Pyrite Trail a few blocks West with the same toxic chemical, Indaziflam. On November 1, 2022, a 1.5 year old boy got a rash from head to toe when BCPOS aerial sprayed Indaziflam/Rejuvra adjacent to the town of Lyons and it lasted for 2 months. His Mother testiified in tears and sent a letter with photos to the county commissioners.

Our group met with Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy and BCPOS management in January to present a pesticide free weed management plan and weed guide. CU Professor Robert Brackenridge authored a 60 page plan for BCPOS incorporating into their own Weed Management Plan, dated 2003, which is 20 years out of compliance according to state law. Commissioner Claire Levy (along with Comm. Marta Loachamin) voted out the plan against the will of 81% of the public and dozens of experts. Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann said she was ready to vote in the Professors’ chemical free Weed Plan that day, but needed one more vote.

Other toxic chemicals are also sprayed nearly on a daily basis in our county as the weather warms up (see spray schedule 2022).

Ending the use of pesticides (herbicides and other harmful chemicals) on Open spaces in Boulder County is a CLIMATE SOLUTION. The global climate experts, including Hunter Lovins, says that healthy soil and plants (especially grasses) can sequester virtually ALL of the carbon in the air and it begins with ending the cycle of pesticide use. Big ag companies, especially Bayer/Monsanto, spends billion of dollars per year spreading propoganda about their products and how well they work, even saying it is GOOD for the environment and bees! They infiltrate universities and municipalities with employees and fund studies for their products to spread these messages including CSU.

The Town of Lyons, the City of Boulder have a Non Synthetic Weed Management Plan and Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette are working toward it by adding goat grazing. Other municipalities around the country are doing the same since regenerative agriculture and land management is now being taught globally.

Recent History of aerial spraying in Boulder County:
Boulder County Parks & Open Space (BCPOS) Invades the Town of Lyons with helicopter and poisonous herbicide and Plan to do it again soon!

BCPOS’s director is spent $35,000 to rain an experimental, toxic chemical on our open space near Lyons, Hall Ranch, to control one weed that experts say does not need controlled and does not pose a threat.
November 1, 2022 at 7:40 am Boulder County Parks & Open Space (BCPOS) doused Indaziflam (a pre emegent herbicide) with a helicopter on public open space, while children walked to school, next to our homes and St. Vrain Creek against the wishes of our town’s people. This herbicide was forced on us just 2 weeks after BCPOS partnered with Cemex Lyons to extend their mining permit 15 more years.

A neighbor at the open space land had gotten a notification about this spraying and told others in town; and people were up in arms and inundated the county with calls. Joe Swanson, the Weed Management Specialist with the Natural Resource Manager, Stefan Rhinhold, held an emergency meetingat Lyons Firehouse justdays before spraying. Around 50 people showed up with one or two day’s notice to this meeting and (100% of people opposed) told BCPOS they did not want chemicals sprayed in our area and that the Town of Lyons has adopted a Weed Managment Plan without the use of chemicals on our public spaces. They told BCPOS there are many other ways to handle the cheatgrass– including tarteted goat grazing that has been used successfully all over the country and prescribed fire. They scoffed at all of these alternative methods but said they would take out a few acres near our creek that provides drinking water to our town and a drainage. He said they were moving forward anyway and they did. Since it was such short notice, some people had not heard the news and were walking in the area when the helicopter came and were directly showered with this chemical with the SW winds that day. People said their eyes and throats burned and coughing occurred. The towns people, including Lyons Climate Action begged the county not to do it, even offering to do the work and take on the cost themselves, and have gathered 2700 signatures to date opposing this method. We got sprayed and the town is devestated about it because they know it will take the land three years to recover and there will be consequences for the wildlife, public health and plants nearby. Lyons Climate action will do whatever it takes to make sure this kind of thing does not happen again. However, they are planning to aerial spray again at the end of February or early March.

Please join our coalition and help us with the solutions that prevent this spray campaign from continuing. Call 303-642-6144.

Cemex S.A.B. de C.V.

We have succesfully stopped BOCO from extending Cemex’s permit to mine, Plant to also close soon!
EPA: #1 Greenhouse Gas Emitter in Boulder County
● Equivalent to ~30,000 Boulder County residents
● ~7.3% of Boulder County Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
● Emits 468,000 tons of CO2 annually (in 2020); the #2 polluter in Boulder County emits only 55,000 tons of CO2 annually
● Over next 15 years, will emit over 7 million tons of CO2

VIEW THE BOCO COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING (VIEW ONLY–NO PUBLIC COMMENTS) SEPTEMBER 29, 3:30 for the final decision on this 15 year extension of their mining operations (and therefore their plant operations).

Cemex Lyons plant, constructed in 1969 is located on Hwy 66 & Hwy 36 in Lyons near Hygiene (where many farms and ranches are located). They are the #1 CO2 Emitter (around 12%) in Boulder County (and likely the 4 surrounding counties) according to EPA reports and Boulder County’s own website. Cemex Lyons plant is the #4 polluter of CO2 in Colorado and also spews harmful dust and other deadly compounds into the air daily. Thier mining permit is due to expire (again) at the end of September 2022.

BOCO Open Space, along with Cemex, is proposing a 15 year extension to Cemex’s permit so they can get a “good deal” on the land in 18 years. See SOSVV links below for more information or BOCO website.

Boulder County Commissioners will have a meeting to decide on this issue September 29th, 3:30pm. Anyone can attend virtual meeting. The county is not accepting public comment any longer; so we can not speak.

In this climate crisis, lowering CO2 emissons needs to be the #1 priority. We need to be getting rid of the biggest polluters in our communities not encouraging them to stay by extending their permits! They also have a Special Use Permit which allows them to burn anything they want and in fact they have threatened to burn tires in the past; but the backlash from the community stopped them then and we can stop them now. Their plant is very old and outdated. Two other plants in Colorado produce 100% of what we use here in Colorado and with updated plants with lower emissions. The use of cement for many applications is being replaced by greener materials (Hempcrete–see Green Solutions Page) and alternate designs. Why our group fought to close this mine and plant:

1) Air Quality – Climate crisis; biggest polluter in our community for air quality locally and globally.

2) Community Health – The factory spews many other harmful chemicals out daily from their plant in dust spray which is known to be linked to many health issues. They have also threatened to burn tires in this plant because their Special Use Permit allows it! Also there have been many accidents both serious and fatal; especially with cyclists from the constant cement trucks that come and go from that plant over the years.

3) Land Use- When Cemex haults operations, Lyons will gain over 2000 acres of land near Hwy 66 & Hwy 36. This land could be used for open space, community gardens, and maybe some housing instead of industry with constant semi trucks coming and going.
4) Not compatible – The plant is located where locals and tourist enter the mountains and Rocky Mountain National Park which has gorgeous backdrop of mountains and rivers for recreation and farms, trails etc. The plant is incongruent with the surrounding area of beauty and nature especially for the many cyclists in Colorado.