[PCA] BLM-USFS sows 100, 000s LBS. exotics--2007, new policy "Just Say NO"?

[Craig Dremann]

Dear Cheshire and All,

Thanks for your email.   The last sentence of your email: 

"As to the seeds on federal lands, some agencies are working on using
truly native seed, native species from a local provence."

--------------------------------

Please allow me to propose:

>From 1990-2001 I was "working" to help the USFS in nine western states
to convert their seed purchases from exotics to local natives, that you
can see at http://www.ecoseeds.com/classes.html ---but "working" is a
very weak substitute for actually doing it, as a permanent annual
routine. 

The Federal government, has been very much aware for at least two
decades--after the BLM and USFS hired professional botanists and
ecologists to monitor their Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species
(TES)---that SOWING ANY EXOTIC SEEDS into a wildland ecosystem is not a
good thing, permanently damage those ecosystems forever, especially if
those exotic plants become naturalized.

With BLM's annual exotic seed purchases, and the USFS exotic seeds sown,
plus any Highway-roadside sowings, might total million pounds a year or
more of exotics, plus their associated "weed seeds"?  

"WEED SEEDS" must be included, whenever you are sowing any kind of
seeds, and if 1% weed seed is allowed in with the million pounds of
exotic seeds that are purchased, then an additional five tons of weeds
seeds are being sown annually along with the exotics.

"JUST SAY NO TO PURCHASING EXOTIC SEEDS"---The various Federal agencies,
by establishing a new policy in 2007 of "Just Say No to Purchasing
Exotic Seeds",  and by stopping all purchases or funding of any
intentionally-sown exotic seeds, could more easily, make a bigger impact
on the spread of new exotic plants in North America than any other
program.

Our Federal public land management agencies, already have the scientific
expertise in their trained botanists and ecologists in 2007, to "Just
Say No to Purchasing Exotic Seeds" for sowing exotic seeds onto our
public lands and along our highway roadsides.  

Those professional BLM and USFS botanists and ecologists all know, that
not sowing any more exotic seeds is exactly the right thing to do, to
protect what's left of our native ecosystems in North America, for the
future.

So when will the BLM and USFS and other Federal agencies say "NO" to
purchasing and sowing a single pound more of exotic seeds onto our
public lands--2007? I'm hopeful.  

"If you are the generation that knows better, you need to do something
about it" 

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333