Stephen Young and Native American Communities Challenge Extensive Forest Service Herbicide Use in California

Stephen Young, a traditional Maidu basket weaver, is highlighting the cultural and religious impact of the US Forest Service's heavy reliance on glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup. A yearlong investigation by Mother Jones revealed that California's forests are being bombarded with the herbicide to regrow timberland after wildfires, with usage reaching 266,000 pounds in 2023. While the Forest Service favors the chemical for its cost-effectiveness in clearing native plants, many Native American community leaders argue that the spraying infringes on traditional gathering areas and may poison the plants used for basket weaving. Native leaders, including Starla Madrigal and Beverly Ogle, express concern that the chemicals linger in plant materials for over a year, often exceeding the recommended 80-week waiting period before gathering. The administration announced plans to roll back protections for 45 million acres of national forest to increase timber production. Despite the Forest Service's reliance on the herbicide, Bayer maintains the product is safe when used as directed, while the Supreme Court recently ruled that only the EPA can mandate safety labels on pesticides.

Sources

• PBS
  U.S. Forest Service, timber companies spraying record amounts of glyphosate in California
• Mother Jones
  Native American Leaders Denounce Record Glyphosate Spraying on National Forests
• KALW
  US Forest Service is spraying glyphosate in California forests
• Mother Jones
  The Fight Over Spraying Roundup in California’s Forests Has Only Gotten Bigger
• Mother Jones
  California's forests are drenched in glyphosate