[APWG] Skip the vinegar, and go for Ecological Restoration

[herbnerd]

Craig and All,

We are involved in ecological restoration. This is a large
valley that we have been clearing for the last five years.
We are in the process of restoring native Hawaiian
ecosystems but we need to stay ahead of the weeds in order
to do so. We are looking for practical alternatives to the
neurotoxic sludge that we are currently using.

Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated.

David Leonard



> Dear Carole and All,
> 
> In California, our DOT, Caltrans, has promised to lower
their roadside
> herbicide spraying by 80% by 2010.  Caltrans is already
permanently at
> zero for all of Humboldt County since 1999, and have put
in place a
> temporary zero roadside herbicide spray policy for the
next three years
> for all of Santa Cruz County.
> 
> You might contact the Caltrans Districts maintenance
director that
> manages Humboldt County (D-1, Eureka), and the director in
Santa Cruz
> County, to see what they've come up with as alternatives.
> 
> About 6 years ago, Caltrans was experimenting with
developing a safe
> "alternative" to the usual herbicides, and they funding
research with UC
> Davis at their Hopland, California Experiment Station, to
come up with a
> "natural" or fairly non-toxic herbicide.  
> 
> I think that acetic acid and corn glutin were both looked
at as
> possibilities, but I don't think either product worked
sufficiently well
> for the agency to use either of them into widespread use.
> 
> What we're finding here in California, is that for exotic
terrestrial
> weeds, most herbicides are useless---because all of lower
elevation
> California is 99.999% infested with over 1,000 species of
exotics.  If
> you eradicate one exotic, another one is waiting on the
side to take
> over once you've finished.
> 
> The only option, is to use Ecological Restoration
techniques to restore
> the native local ecosystem understory, with at least two
and ideally a
> dozen local native plant species.  
> 
> That's why a huge investment needs to be made to invent
the Ecological
> Restoration technologies to get the job done right the
first time, and
> skip this thrashing around for an herbicide alternative.  
> 
> There's an outline on how to get started with dry-land
ecological
> restoration at http://www.ecoseeds.com/standards.html and
also a talk on
> ecological restoration vs. exotics at
http://www.ecoseeds.com/talk.html
> 
> I was surveying the Wash. DC to Delaware corridor in 2000
when I was out
> teaching a class on native plants for roadsides to the
Delaware DOT, and
> I was shocked to see how the eastern native grass and
herbaceous plant
> understory has been so completely hosed, just like in the
West. 
> Probably close to 99% extinguished. 
> 
> The only place where I found a decent understory was at
the edge of the
> Great Falls in Maryland, probably because when the sheep
and cows 200
> years ago heard the rushing water, it made them too afraid
to graze
> right next to the edge of the gorge!
> 
> Sincerely, Craig Dremann, Redwod City, Ca (650) 325-7333

David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac.
Medicine at your Feet
http://www.davidbruceleonard.com