To the Editor:

LD 125 will help protect our health, the health of Maine’s environment, and the health of our organic farms, while encouraging healthier and more sustainable forestry practices, Aerial spraying of glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides is on the rise in Maine forestry management, despite being contrary to state policy.

These herbicides are known to be harmful to wildlife health as well as human health. This is especially alarming since herbicide drift from aerial spraying can travel great distances and have adverse effects on life miles away from spray areas. Herbicide drift also threatens the viability of our organic farming industry and the livelihoods of organic farm families.

Contaminated produce cannot be marketed as organic, and farm families whose land is contaminated by pesticide drift must surrender their organic certification for three years, through no fault of their own. Banning this practice will not only protect human and wildlife health, it will also protect our valuable organic farms and encourage a shift toward more ecologically friendly forest management.

LD 125 – currently being discussed by our legislature in Augusta – will ban the aerial spraying of glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides and encourage more ecologically friendly forestry practices.

For the sake of our health, the health of our wildlife, and the health of our organic farms, I encourage our representatives in Augusta, including our local representative Scott Landry, to vote in favor of LD 125 and support a healthier and more sustainable Maine forest ecology and economy.

Click to access Aerial-Herbicides_2021-Factsheet.pdf

T. Will Jones
Farmington

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