HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-19-2020 Public Comment - J. McClendon - Weed SprayingFrom:Janel Mcclendon
To:Agenda
Subject:COVID-19 and Bozeman Health
Date:Wednesday, March 18, 2020 2:03:54 PM
Hello,
My father moved my family here in 1993. Do any of you remember Bozeman back then? Think of a red carpeted
mall complete with taxidermy animals and a huge, stuffed, REAL polar bear! Crazy! Needless to say, being a mall
obsessed 5th grader from southern NJ, I was upset that my dad moved us here.
It was our first summer here when I realized why he moved us to Bozeman. Bozeman was HEALTHY! We could
sleep outside in our yard in tents, we could take walks, we could even keep our windows open!
My husband got out of the USMC in 2016 so we moved back here. I was shocked when I saw so many red trucks
crowding the streets and spraying yards all over town! I quickly did research. The chemical 2,4-d is thoroughly
described on numerous heath and government sponsored websites and, according to all of the spraying companies in
town, it is their active ingredient. Now 2,4 -d is legal, but as all of you know some things that the government has
legalized isn’t always safe. In fact, this chemical causes infertility, hormone disruption, cancer, AS WELL AS
COMPROMISES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. Now is a very important time for us to look beyond having our lawns
looking “pretty”. We need to be aware of what we are doing and how it is effecting our town and our environment.
Please look into the island of Kauai. On our last day of vacation there last summer it was all over the front page that
the island banned herbicide use on school grounds and the grounds of public places. They also do not use herbicides
on their golf courses. The islands have too many experiences with Monsanto and other similar companies making
their people and kids sick. So before things got worse they stopped using something they new was harmful.
This spraying is taking away our freedom to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. It is even taking away the freedom
to go outside in our OWN yard. These spraying companies warn people not to go outside when they are spraying
and to keep off lawns until the application is dry. Think about when they spray on windy days? Neighbors a couple
houses down can be confined to their homes. Remember last summer driving around and seeing Yards littered with
signs that yards have been sprayed. These signs are everywhere. You can’t go anywhere in town without seeing
them.
I am asking you to ban the use of herbicides this summer. Talk to anyone who is educated in agriculture they will
adamantly oppose what Jeff Pheil at Bozeman Tree Service is doing. Everyone from MSU professors to business
owners with degrees in agriculture all say 1 spray a year is sufficient, in the Spring.
So if you can’t ban herbicides fully in Bozeman, even though research is on your side, PLEASE look into limiting
applications. Once per year for those who would rather have a green yard than a healthy population of our city.
I have been to five star resorts on gorgeous tropical islands all over the world. There are weeds. Guess what? It
didn’t ruin my vacation or make any of my photos less Instagram worthy by having those weeds on lawns at these
resorts.
The cost to you is zero to put this measure into place but if you do nothing then it will cost us much more in the
long term. As a city who prides ourselves on being everything from “One of the best places to retire” to “The most
dog friendly city”, it is time we live up to the slogans and do the right things for the health of our citizens so
BOZEMAN can not just be “The last best place” but a showcase of how city management is supposed to be done.
For the the benefit of all our citizens let’s do the right thing, lead from the front, and become “The FIRST, best
place!” Please bring this town back to being what it was when I was a child.
Janel McClendon