1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to intervene and stop the Washington State Department of Natural Resources from moving forward with seven Forest Practices Applications (FPAs nos. 2944503, 2944504, 2944505, 2944506, 2944507, 2944508, and 2944509) that would aerially spray glyphosate and other herbicides across 2,257 acres in southwestern Washington. These applications must be canceled. DNR plans to spray glyphosate, imazapyr, sulfometuron methyl, and metsulfuron methyl from helicopters to kill native hardwoods like alder and bigleaf maple, along with sword fern and vine maple. This isn't about controlling invasive species. It's about eliminating competing vegetation to boost conifer plantation growth and timber revenue. The World Health Organization classifies glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans, and it's been the subject of multibillion-dollar cancer settlements. Aerial spraying increases drift into waterways and communities, threatening the Columbia torrent salamander and other aquatic species documented near spray zones. Many of these areas were last logged over a century ago and have never been chemically treated. They support diverse plant communities that DNR now wants to eliminate with cancer-causing chemicals. Buffers as narrow as 50 feet offer no real protection. This prioritizes short-term profit over clean water, biodiversity, and public health. Stop this spraying.