permaculture

["Jerome Osentowski" <jerome@crmpi.org>]

Steve,  See the article on the Bio-Islands at the RFC in Basalt on our web
site  If we could do this kind of landscapeing on more developement it would
creat more habitat for the good bugs and other critters.   I have seen it
work here in my greenhouses and forest garden, and it is now working on the
golf course on  20 acres .  Using hedgesrows is not a new idea.

"We do not need more knowledge but more wisdom. Wisdom comes form our own
attention."   Jack Kornfield

jerome
--
Jerome Osentowski, Director
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute
PO Box 631
Basalt, CO 81621   U.S.A.

Tel/fax (970) 927-4158    E mail: jerome@crmpi.org

For more information, please visit our web site at <<www.crmpi.org>>


----------
>From: Steve Diver <steved@ncatark.uark.edu>
>To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: Re: [permaculture] Songbirds.....
>Date: Wed, Apr 10, 2002, 2:14 PM
>

> I doubt very seriously you have an epidemic loss of songbirds.
>
> Over time, through loss of habitat and disturbance of breeding
> grounds, slowly creeping, year after year...  your songbird
> population decreased.  Environmental toxins probably play a
> role in decreased bird populations, as well.
>
> So what else is new, man?  The whole world is suffering these
> same characteristics.
>
> Fyi, you have only so many options in front of you as a citizen.
> It is unlikely you can stop spraying, but you may be able to get
> collective buy-in to habitat and have a significant impact.   The
> other option is to find non-toxic alternatives such as biorational
> pesticides.  BIRC is one of your best options along those lines.
>
> Agro-ecology, agroforestry, hedgerow agriculture, riparian buffer
> strips and corridors, permaculture... they all have something in
> common with ecological design, species selection, and habitat
> management.
>
>
> Songbird Hedges—An Antidote to the Stockade Fence
> Plants & Gardens News Volume 16, Number 3 | Fall 2001
> by Janet Marinelli
> http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildlife/2001fa_songbird.html
>
> Attracting and Feeding Songbirds
> Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service
> http://cufan.clemson.edu/hgic/factsheets/hgic1700.htm
>
> Understanding the Science Behind Riparian Forest Buffers:
> Effects on Plant and Animal Communities
> Virginia Cooperative Extension
> http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/forestry/420-152/420-152.html
>
> Design Recommendations for Riparian Corridors and Vegetated
> Buffer Strips
> US Army Engineer Research and Development Center
> http://www.wes.army.mil/el/emrrp/pdf/sr24.pdf
>         17-page PDF; addressing zones, ecological design, species
>
> "Habitat, habitat, gots to have a habitat"
>
> Steve Diver
>
>
>
> Claude Genest wrote:
>
>> Thanks Steve,
>>
>> This option is quite popular around here, but I'm afraid it plays into the
>> "best and ONLY the best " mentality that seeks to "solve" the problem
>> without recognizing that the apparent "problem" is in fact only a
>> symptom....
>> Don't get me wrong, I'm all for bats, but not instead of a healthy
>> population of songbirds. And best as I can tell ( hence the need for
>> corroborating evidence) this Spring is as Silent as they've all been for 
>> the
>> last fifty years, and if it hadn't been for Miss Carson's book, I doubt I'd
>> ever have noticed that this is NOT NORMAL !
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Claude
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>

Attachment: contamination of compost 1
Description: application/applefile

Action Alert
Ban Clopyralid in Washington State!

Clopyralid, the active ingredient in 40 different pesticides registered in 
Washington State, is contaminating compost and ruining farms and gardens. 
Send a message to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) by 
April 24 that you want a ban on this persistent herbicide. It is the only way 
to ensure clean compost and other soil amendments in Washington State.






Clopyralid is an herbicide widely used on lawns and in hay and grain 
production. Clopyralid has been found in compost at all major composting 
facilities in eastern and western Washington. Unlike some other herbicides, 
clopyralid does not break down during composting. Compost contaminated with 
even extremely low levels of clopyralid can kill tomatoes, beans, peas, 
potatoes and many other sensitive plants. This herbicide threatens the 
livelihoods of small farmers who rely on clean compost and manure. 
Contaminated compost and manure have already killed plants in home gardens 
and on farms. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage has been done.

The WSDA recently issued a weak Emergency Rule on the use of clopyralid in 
Washington, which is effective through July 1, 2002. Now WSDA has filed a 
draft Permanent Rule that is even weaker! WSDA's proposal for the Permanent 
Rule will fail to keep compost, manure, straw and fallen leaves clean of 
clopyralid. Damage to crops from clopyralid will continue unless the use of 
clopyralid-containing herbicides is ended. The proposed rules are not 
adequate because:







 Clopyralid would still be widely used on hay and grain farms. This is 
unacceptable because clopyralid residues on hay and grain fed to animals pass 
directly into their urine and manure. Manure is a valuable feedstock for 
compost. Allowing the use of clopyralid in agriculture will result in 
herbicide-contaminated manure. Composters are rejecting the tainted manure. 
This will result in piles of manure collecting on farms and the contamination 
of rivers and streams. Agricultural use of clopyralid must end. 





 Golf courses, schools, parks, businesses, and other nonresidential 
properties would be exempt. The Emergency Rule restricts clopyralid use on 
turf to golf courses. Other exemptions are now being sought that would allow 
the spraying of lawns at schools, businesses, parks, and other sites. 
Although the rule prohibits vegetation from these sites going to composting 
facilities, there is no provision for enforcement. In addition, there is no 
realistic alternative to off-site composting for leaves and tree prunings 
generated at these sites. These exemptions will undoubtedly lead to continued 
herbicide contamination of compost.

Tell WSDA and your legislators that you want clopyralid banned in Washington 
State. Tell them you demand clean compost and responsible organic-waste 
recycling!

Thanks for your efforts.
Send comments by April 24 to:
Cliff Weed
WSDA Pesticide Management Division
PO Box 42589, Olympia, WA 98504
360-902-2036, e-mail: cweed@agr.wa.gov Make sure to cc:
Bill Brookreson
WSDA Acting Director
PO Box 42589, Olympia, WA 98504
360-902-1810, e-mail: brookreson@agr.wa.gov.
Toll-Free Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000




If you are not sure who your local legislators are, visit: 
http://dfind.leg.wa.gov/dfinder.cfm 

Background Information:

Clopyralid is a pyridine carboxylic acid herbicide that has been registered 
by Dow AgroSciences for use in the United States since 1987. Common brand 
names of products that include clopyralid are Confront, Curtail, Transline, 
and others. Clopyralid is used to control dandelions and clover in lawns, as 
well as thistles and knapweed in wheat, mint, timothy hay, corn, asparagus, 
sugar beets, and other crops. Materials such as grass clippings, hay, and 
manure are widely contaminated with clopyralid.

Washington State is a leader in composting organic materials formerly sent to 
landfills. Clopyralid has gotten into compost because residues from this 
herbicide are in grass clippings, hay, and manure, all of which are important 
materials for making quality compost. The problem was first discovered in the 
Washington State University (WSU) composting facility and the Spokane 
Regional Composting Facility in the summer of 2000. In both cases, the 
compost damaged sensitive plants at local gardens and nurseries. The WSU site 
has suffered $250,000 in direct losses because of this contamination. Testing 
done by the WSDA in October 2001 detected clopyralid at every major 
composting facility in Washington. Clopyralid-contaminated compost has also 
been documented in Pennsylvania, California, and New Zealand.

Clopyralid can harm plants in the legume, nightshade, and composite families. 
These include peas, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, petunias, 
asters, daisies, chrysanthemums, and artichokes. Extremely low levels (1 part 
per billion) can cause damage. Clopyralid kills plants by mimicking the plant 
growth hormone auxin. Affected plants have twisted stems and cupped leaves. 
Badly damaged plants will never produce a crop or flower. It is likely that 
many gardeners and farmers have experienced damage in the past and have 
attributed it to something else.

Alternatives to clopyralid exist for both turf and agricultural uses. 
Encouraging a healthy mat of turf with natural lawn care practices 
discourages weeds. For more information on pesticide-free lawn care for a 
healthy environment visit Seattle's Natural Lawn Care website: 
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util/lawncare/. Likewise, grain and hay producers 
can control thistle and knapweed by emphasizing cultural practices. Certified 
organic hay and grain is currently produced without herbicides. 

Researchers do not completely understand why clopyralid does not break down 
readily in compost. Microorganisms in soil degrade the chemical. However, it 
can persist in soil for as long as a year. Warm, moist soils encourage 
clopyralid degradation. The higher organic matter content of compost is 
likely slowing the breakdown of clopyralid in some way. Dow AgroSciences has 
known for many years that their herbicide persisted longer in compost and in 
soils rich in organic matter. Current product labels that warn against 
composting treated grass clippings have been ineffective. 

Soils rich in organic matter grow healthier plants, with less disease, less 
need for chemicals and less need for herbicides. Compost is essential to 
building healthy soil with sufficient organic matter. Gardeners and farmers 
alike depend on clean compost for continued chemical-free plant production.

More information about clopyralid is available at these websites:
City of Seattle:


 http://www.cityofseattle.net/util/clopyralid/




Washington State University:
 http://css.wsu.edu/compost/compost.htm




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Attachment: contamination of compost 2
Description: application/applefile

The final portion of the meeting was spent discussing the Confront
(Clopryralid) contamination compost issue, which was flagged by NOFANJ's
Karen Anderson., who saw an article about it in BioCycle magazine.  Roy
Meyer of the Pesticide Control Program presented a power-point  set of
slides outlining the issue - Dow's product has been reported in three
states to have shown up a residual of the herbicide in compost ( probably
attached to the grass cuttings mixed in with leaf compost) at rates that
suppress future growth of bean and tomato plants, when the compost was
applied to gardens or landscape areas. This could have a chilling effect on
the compost industry, particularly municipal composting.  (Confront is a
broad leaf weed killer used on golf courses, and lawns primarily.)
WAshington State and Penn State found residues of Confront in compost.
Washington State banned its use on lawns as of March 1, 2002, for 120 days,
until they can figure out what to do next.  Dow is arguing the issue can be
taken care of by label warnings not to use the grass clippings for compost
in the same year applied.  But residuals have been found in compost more
than a year later.
NJDEP expressed an interest in sampling  NJ compost for the herbicide, but
sampling and testing compost in gas chromatographs is "very dirty", and is
very difficult to clean out of the delicate test instruments afterwards.
NJDEP has asked help from the EPA to do the actual testing of the compost
for residues.  Whether either agency has the money to do this
sampling/testing is doubtful.  NJDEP said they would not further restrict
or regulate Confront without empirical data justifying it, NJ specific
data.  Roy Meyer reported that according the NJ pesticide use surveys,
Confront was used very little on golf courses ( 93 pounds in l997), even
less in agriculture ( 34 pounds in 2000)  but relatively frequently in lawn
care ( 7889 pounds in l999).  Currently this product is not registered for
homeowners.  
Confront has been used by many lawn care companies as an alternative to 2,4
D, a susptected carcinogen and groundwater leacher.  Looks like the
alternative is just as bad at what it replaced.
Now that NJDEP has joined Pennsylvania, WAshington State, and New York
State in raising this issue to the EPA, it will be interesting to see what
happens next.  At the very least, they should do some more sampling/testing
in NJ and NY to see if this is problem here, and then take action to
restrict the product.