Clearcutting includes heavy, repeated use of herbicides and other toxic chemicals.
The timber industry uses several applications of herbicides and sometimes rodenticides (poisons for small animals, such as strychnine) on clearcuts and plantation forests to remove any “competition” from native plants and predation from wildlife. Herbicides are used to kill native plants that are considered to be “in the way” or competition for the trees planted in plantations. These toxic chemicals are applied by helicopter, or on the ground, usually by migrant forestry workers.
Herbicides are extremely toxic to native plants and wildlife.
Herbicides are used several times after a clearcut. They are designed to destroy young growth of native shrubs and plants, removing food, shelter and nesting material for migratory and other birds, small mammals, deer, bears, and other wildlife. Herbicides also kill grasses, dogwoods, wildflowers, maples, and oaks, as well as native wildflowers, important food resources for many species of insects and other wildlife. Rodenticides can poison other animals and birds who may eat the rodents or the bait.
The US is behind other civilized countries in allowing the use of toxic chemicals.
Glyphosate (more popularly known as “Roundup”) is one of the most commonly used herbicides in logging operations. Research indicates that there are multiple negative effects on wildlife from use of glyphosate, such as birth defects, cancers, and DNA damage. Other herbicides used in forestry include 2,4-D, hexazinone, triclopyr, and imazapyr. Hexazinone is banned in Europe because it is a known groundwater contaminant. 2,4-D is also a known groundwater contaminant, and breaks down into a form of dioxin, a deadly compound – it was one of the ingredients in Agent Orange. Atrazine was used by a large timber company in the Sierra for years, but they stopped using it after citizen complaints noted it was contaminating groundwater. Atrazine, also banned in Europe, disrupts hormones in animals and amphibians.
More herbicide monitoring and monitoring transparency are needed.
While we know that use of herbicides can impact adjacent water systems, there is little independent monitoring of contamination of water from logging herbicides because much of the herbicide spraying occurs on private land. One of the large timber companies states in their logging plans that they monitor streams for herbicide contamination, but they have not allowed public review of their monitoring records nor have they provided this information to regulatory agencies. Learn more…