In a statement released on Monday, July 10, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District confirmed that two weeks earlier it had cut some French Broom plants and used the herbicide glyphosate in its Olympia Well Head property in Felton.
The “cut and dab” effort had been reported the week before by the Press Banner, which located a pile of freshly cut French Broom at the Felton watershed.
In its statement, the district said that a local environmental consultant, George McMenamin had completed a “first phase” of the “eradication effort in the most environmentally responsible manner “ the week of June 26.
The district’s Board of Directors had voted seven weeks earlier, on May 8, to direct its staff to “immediately” begin cutting some of the invasive plants in the protected watershed around an old quarry off West Zayante Road in Felton, before the yellow-flowering plants went to seed. That immediate effort was to involve no herbicided use.
On July 7, the California Environmental Protection added glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals, requiring warning labels on any products containing the pesticide to state that it is known to cause cancer.
In the district’s “French Broom Eradication Update” released this week, entitled “Major Progress Made,” it was reported that McMenamin, a “licensed herbicide applicator” was paid $7,500, and used 8 ounces of Rodeo (containing glyphosate) by “dabbing” not spraying.
The district’s report this week again failed to mention that the board had directed that the first steps in the eradication were to be “hand-cutting” without the use of herbicide.
“Having completed the urgent effort to eradicate high-priority seed-bearing plants, district staff will be planning a second phase of eradication this year,” this week’s report said. “Additional eradication efforts this year will not include the use of glyphosate.”
