Another post from the San Francisco Permaculture Guild:

Posted by: "Kachina Katrina" kachinakatrina@uas.coop kachinakatrina
Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:28 am (PST)

<sanfrancisco.tribe.net/listin...806251>
Speak
out against aerial spraying - CDFA coming to town this
week!<sanfrancisco.tribe.net/listin...806251>
Last
week the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) made an
official announcement that they intend to continue aerial spraying of
pesticides over Monterey and Santa Cruz counties in June, and begin spraying
over the Bay Area in August. Once implemented the spraying will occur every
30-90 days, for 9 months of every year, for at least 3-5 years to come.

The proposed areas to be sprayed by air total 444,060 acres, 693.8 miles
(see map www.hopefortruth.com/lbam_2008.jpg). And that doesn't
include the vast acreage of ground treatments that allow them to enter
private properties to attach chemical twist ties and traps in your organic
gardens, and paint insecticide on trees and utility poles, all in easy reach
of climbing children, pets, and other beneficial creatures. Hundreds of
people have already been made ill by the spraying last Fall in Monterey and
Santa Cruz (list of symptoms
www.indybay.org/newsitems/...70272.php).

The CDFA is battling the little light brown apple moth (LBAM), not because
it has the potential of eating us out of house and home, nor are they
concerned about us not having enough to eat. Their eradication program has
nothing whatsoever to do with public health and safety, but everything to do
with trade. They worry about losing profits because of potential embargoes
on California produce. They are not concerned about organic farmers,
however, and organic standards are in the process of being diluted further.

The CDFA will be holding "scoping" meetings to hear public comments
regarding their Environmental Impact Review (EIR) process. Please be aware
that the spraying is not dependent on completion of such a review, because
they have declared a "State of Emergency", which gives them the right to
overrule other regulations, such as local pesticide ordinances, private
property laws, and health, safety, and environmental protection.

You can demonstrate your concerns at the following meetings, which the CDFA
is expected to attend. More meetings, organized by the CDFA, various city
and county officials, and grassroots activists, in various communities are
being added all the time. Please keep updated by checking out the calendar
at www.lbamspray.com/calendar.htm

If you haven't done so already, please scroll down to the links on the
bottom of this mail to sign the petition opposed to aerial spraying, and
vote in the polls.

CDFA "scoping" meetings:

Monterey
Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 6:00 ? 8:00 p.m.
Monterey Peninsula College
Lecture Forum 103
980 Fremont Street
Monterey, CA 93940

Santa Cruz
Thursday, February 21, 2008, 6:00 ? 8:00 p.m.
University Inn & Conference Center
Sierra & Dawn Room
611 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

San Francisco
Monday, February 25, 2008, 6:00 ? 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco County Fair Building Auditorium
Golden Gate Park
9th Avenue & Lincoln Way
San Francisco, CA 94122

Oakland
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 6:30 ? 8:30 p.m.
Ellis M Harris State Building Auditorium
1515 Clay St.
Oakland, CA 94612

Oral and written comments will be accepted. The deadline for written
comments is March 20, 2008. They may be sent to:
Jim Rains, Staff Environmental Scientist
CA Department of Food and Agriculture
Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
1220 N Street, Room A-316
Sacramento, CA 95814

LBAM on the agenda at City Council meetings:

Oakland
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 7pm
Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza (14th St. Between Clay and Broadway)
Hearing Room 1
Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee considers a resolution against
aerial spraying proposed by Councilmembers Brunner and Reid
(draft resolution: clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/atta....pdf)

Berkeley
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 7pm
2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley
CDFA presentation scheduled at Berkeley City Council meeting

To prepare for talking with the CDFA, and to hear from grassroots opposition
to the pesticide program:

San Leandro
East Bay Pesticide Alert/Don't Spray California presents:
Who's afraid of the Light Brown Apple Moth?
Sunday, February 24, 2008, 1:30-3:30pm
Zocalo Coffeehouse
645 Bancroft Ave @ Dutton, San Leandro
*(scent-free please)
www.eastbaypesticidealert.org/

Have you signed the petition against the spraying?

www.stopthespray.org/

Voted in the poll in the Marin Independent Journal?

www.marinij.com/marin/ci_8257611

And the one on About.com <about.com/>

sanfrancisco.about.com/b/2008...rea.htm

Thanks! and sorry for any cross postings.
--
Kachina Katrina Zavalney*
Mapping the Ecology of the Sustainability Movement
The Urban Alliance for Sustainability
www.uas.coop
cell: 503-459-1345