It's that time of the year when the sprayers are at their destructive work. Here in Nova Scotia, in Cape Breton, a "test" spraying of 20 blocks of woodlands using Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki) by the provincial government is underway directed at the black-headed budworm. This forest spraying of a so-called biological spray (it does have a chemical component), probably is considered okay because it is allegedly harmless to humans. It doesn't presumably matter about all those moths and butterflies which also occupy the spraying zone, along with the black-headed budworms. Frequent insect blooms are a necessary part of the industry-driven, even-aged, softwood, narrow species range, pulpwood forest.

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From: jenny orr <jvbo@exploremaine.com >

One of my friends just sent me your email about arial spraying. I
lived in Nova Scotia for years and my now deceased ex-husband and I spent years fighting the arial spraying of the native American woodlands in Cape Breton and then the arial spraying by the Irving Co in new Brunswick. There is a connection between Rheyes Syndrome and arial pesticide spraying. There was a young ex-patriot American lawyer who was terrific in working for the environment. Unfortunately I don't remember her name. But there is a lot of literature about the
cumulative health effects of spraying.

I'm off to NS tomorrow where we also fought a battle against roadside
spraying in Cumberland Cty. It took about 3 years to finally get it
eradicated and the result came from a huge add in the paper telling of
the hazards followed by a question and answer period on an AM talk
radio show.

Good luck. Unfortunately the chemical companies have deep political
connections like OIL.

jenny orr