Stop spraying our forest

NEW: Read this 1-page fact sheet on “What you need to know about what’s sprayed on our forest?”

As more New Brunswick public forest is being doused with herbicides, more New Brunswickers are mobilizing against the practice.

A petition to ban herbicide spraying of NB’s public forest

The Government of New Brunswick is going to massively expand the spraying of herbicides over our public forest, and at public expense. This follows the decision to allow industry to triple the area of conifer plantations in areas of naturally growing forest. Young conifer plantations are sprayed with herbicides to control broad leaf/deciduous trees and shrubs.

Broadleaf trees and shrubs are an important food source for a variety of forest wildlife. Spraying herbicides to kill broad leaf trees and shrubs destroys the food source and habitats of many forest dependent species.

With approximately 90 per cent of its forested land under public ownership, the province of Quebec listened to public concerns and banned herbicide spraying of its public forest in 2001. We call on the provincial government of New Brunswick to do the same and ban the spraying of our forest.

To sign/circulate this petition, email forest[at]conservationcouncil.ca or call 506 458-8747. Deadline for petition signatures is mid-August 2010.