{"id":4802,"date":"2023-11-06T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puravidaaquatic.com\/wordpress\/?p=4802"},"modified":"2023-11-14T08:05:42","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T16:05:42","slug":"our-national-toxic-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.puravidaaquatic.com\/wordpress\/our-national-toxic-parks\/","title":{"rendered":"Our National Toxic Parks"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n


\nTimeline so far <\/font><\/p>\n


\nThursday Oct 19th 2023 FOIA filed asking for pesticide use information in three of the national parks; Yosemite, Sequoia, and Everglades<\/p>\n

Start:
\nI would like to thank whoever is researching this as I know it is sometimes a tough job figuring out what people are asking :-). I am asking for pesticide use information in at least three of the national parks: Sequoia, Yosemite, Everglades. If there is a database for all Parks that would be awesome.
\nI would like to ask what are the trade names for all pesticides used in each Park for the last five years. If any of the pesticide formulations used are other than a specific trade name then I am asking for the chemical composition specifying the active ingredient and carrier compounds. I am asking for the amounts used for each pesticide item above. I am asking for the acreage and location each of the items is applied to (a map would be great). And finally I am asking for the item cost for each of the pesticide items, I do not need the application cost.
\nThank you again.
\nBob Lloyd
\nEnd:<\/p>\n

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\nThursday Oct 19th 2023 filled out the contact form on Yosemite's website and sent it requesting information on pesticide applications in the park: similar to above; amounts, names, and areas applied.<\/p>\n

Also contacted the other parks (Everglades and Sequoia) figuring that with the FOIA, I would start at both ends :-)
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nOctober 31st 2023 Received response from YOSE Superintendent, NPS \u2022 yose_superintendent@nps.gov
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nWhere they told me... <\/font><\/p>\n


\nHello,<\/p>\n

Pesticide use in the National Park Service is documented online through the Pesticide Use Proposal System (PUPS). https:\/\/irma.nps.gov\/PUPS<\/p>\n

Each formulation of pesticide is documented. For example, the active ingredient glyphosate may be found in the trade products Round-up and Rodeo; any use of each product is documented. The percentage of active ingredients are recorded as found on the label; labels are also included in the PUPS. Pesticides mix rates are dependent on the target pest. Carriers, surfactants, and any other additives follow the pesticide label, but are not recorded in PUPS or elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Pesticide use is documented annually. This includes, the amount of pesticide applied, the amount of active ingredient applied, the acreage, and species in which the pesticide was applied.<\/p>\n

Pesticide cost is dependent on the distributor and changes frequently. The park does not track pesticide cost. Many of the pesticides used can be found at local hardware stores, agricultural supply stores, or pesticide distributers and they would be a better resource to find current costs.<\/p>\n

If you would like more information, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request at Freedom of Information Act (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) .<\/p>\n

Office of the Superintendent
\nYosemite National Park<\/p>\n

209-372-0286<\/p>\n

<\/font>
\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.nps.gov\/orgs\/1207\/national-park-service-announces-cicely-muldoon-as-yosemite-national-park-s-new-superintendent.htm<\/p>\n

Sounds great doesn't it?<\/p>\n

But nowhere in her departments email did it mention the park was required to have an Integrated Pest Management office or coordinator responsible for all pesticide use and responsible for the _exact_ information I was asking for. My source says that it is federal law that all our national parks are required to have this department. Hmmmmmmm They are awfully hard to reach.<\/p>\n

And then when one tries following the link her department sent me it doesn't work. And even the searches one can get it to do are not the PUPS database. And if one reads the rest of her departments response it sounds like a PR release from Monsanto
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n_____________________________________________<\/p>\n

Later information found independently (see details below obtained November 1st) revealed that the Park _is_ responsible for having an Integrated Pest Management office or coordinator. The superintendent of this park neglecting to mention that they have a specific office or coordinator specifically responsible for all the details I was asking for seems particularly ... willful?.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nIn addition the link they supplied doesn't work the best. The link the YOSE Superintendent, NPS \u2022 yose_superintendent@nps.gov sent gives an error message with a second small link at the bottom. The second link goes to a IRMA site. Where there is a 'certainly very easy to find' second search link. It is certainly understandable to me why the superintendent wouldn't send a direct link to the search link. I mean if you expect me to search for something why make it easy? And as noted above this is a separate database from the PUPS<\/font><\/p>\n


\nhttps:\/\/irma.nps.gov\/DataStore\/Search\/Quick
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nBut we decided to search anyway.
\nA IRMA search with the link above for \"pesticide\" only turns up links to outside projects analyzing chemical residue coming from some minimal sampling in the park. I cannot find any Park pesticide application information. If I search for pesticide _and_ application (either order) I get no results. None?? Seriously \ud83d\ude03 and the IRMA searches supposedly include
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nPark Science:
\n\"Park Science reports the findings of recent and ongoing natural and social science and related cultural research and their implications for park planning, management, and policy.\"
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n_____________________________________________<\/font><\/p>\n


\nBut Park Science doesn't _ anything about pesticides _applied in the park? Wow that's the most amazing science I have heard in a long long time. I don't believe that chemical sampling at a few locations (locations chosen by whom?) (And what specific chemicals are tested for: chosen by whom?) is valid for my interests. I want to know what they are applying, where, and how much.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSo back to their original email...
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\n\"Each formulation of pesticide is documented. For example, the active ingredient glyphosate may be found in the trade products Round-up and Rodeo; any use of each product is documented. \"
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nNo, they are not.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSearch on the public IRMA portal...
\nFor glyphosate: no results found
\nFor Roundup: 1 result.
\nThe Director\u2019s Report; A Message from Director Roger Kennedy: From Here to Where We Want to Be Regional Roundup
\n.... Regional _Roundup_ \ud83d\ude06<\/font><\/p>\n


\nFor Round_up or Round-up: no results found
\nFor Rodeo: no results found
\nFor Biocide: no results found
\nI've already described the pesticide junk.<\/font><\/p>\n


\nI want to know what they are applying, where, and how much. I just don't think that is unreasonable. And the director of the national parks just sent me non-information and willfully did not answer my question. And lastly, do you really think that if the park was being open and honest about this data that _all_ the searches above would all have given _no results found_
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nNov1,2023
\nSo googling I found something that says each Park has to have an IPM coordinator. And that all pesticide use has to be coordinated with them and that there are very specific forms to use. So there's no question in my mind that they have a database and the superintendent just simply (and certainly accidentally) neglected to send me that information.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nPARK IPM PROGRAM & FEDERAL PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS
\nFollowing are requirements of the NPS IPM program and Federal Pesticide Management:
\nApproval for Pesticide Use
\nRequests for the use of any pesticides must be submitted annually using the Pest Management Program
\n_____________________________________________<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSo I googled the text above and came up with tons of links that had wonderful spokes people from the pesticide industry writing public service announcements about how all the pesticides used in our national parks are so important to keeping every single one of us safe from everything else. But I also found a PDF that had an email link for NPS IPM.
\ncs_envaudits@nps.gov<\/p>\n

Sent an email November 6th 2023
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nhttps:\/\/irma.nps.gov\/Portal
\nhttps:\/\/irma.nps.gov\/DataStore\/Search\/Quick
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nRenewed searches on the public IRMA portal...
\nTested adding an s to the end of some words and still got the same results. So not really worried about insecticides versus insecticide
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSearch on the public IRMA portal<\/p>\n

For IPM coordinator: no results
\nFor \"pesticide\" _and_ \"application\" either order: no results.
\nFor Integrated Pest Management
\nAnd integrated pest Managements.
\nBoth gave one result. One!.. from 1914 \ud83d\ude06
\n
\nNPS DataStore
\nIntegrated Resource Management Applications
\nDataStore-2.10.3.23239-20230926-105412
\nNational Park Service
\nU.S. Department of the Interior
\nNatural Resource Stewardship and Sciencearrowhead
\nHomedown arrow image 0
\nSearchdown arrow image 1
\nReports
\nContact Us Help
\nLog In
\nQuick Search
\nReferences are displayed based on a ranking system. References that are more recently published, have digital files, and have been accessed most frequently
\nare displayed first. The columns are sortable by clicking on the column name to help you navigate your search results.
\nClick here to learn more about search results
\n1
\n9776
\n1914
\nPublished Report
\nYosemite National Park - Superintendent Annual Report (1914)
\nNational Park Service - Yosemite National Park
\nPage
\n1
\nof 1
\nRecords per Page
\n50
\nDisplaying 1 - 1 of 1
\nUS Department of the Interior FOIA Privacy Policy Disclaimer and Ownership NPS Home USA.gov Accessibility Experience Your America TM
\n_____
\nSeveral pages down in this Yosemite National Park - Superintendent Annual Report (1914) link ....
\nQuote:
\n\"INSECT CONTROL.
\nThe work of felling and burning insect infected trees with the object of eradicating injurious
\ninsects and protecting the remaining trees from other attacks has been continued this season
\nunder the direction of Mr. J. J. Sullivan, entomologist, of the Department of Agriculture.
\nWork has been done in the vicinities of Big Meadows, Little Yosemite, and the valley of
\nthe Illilouette\" End Quote:
\n
\n_____________________________________________
\nGood for them!
\nThey were working and burning for insect control in 1914. Which wouldn't poison any birds -- even if they used their latest greatest burn technique. On the other hand: later superintendents have probably been spraying the latest greatest insecticides since the 1950s, but in Sequoia and _especially_ in the Everglades _all_ the contaminating chemicals come from _outside_ the parks. \ud83e\udd14 Who would have thought? Haven't found any links to Yosemite yet. \ud83e\udd14
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nContinued searching on the public IRMA portal
\nFor Federal Pesticide Management:
\n
\n1
\n2254288
\n2012
\nUnpublished Report
\nSierra Nevada-Southern Cascades (SNSC) Region Air Contaminants Research and Monitoring Report
\nStaci L Simonich, Leora Nanus
\nPage
\n1
\nof 1
\nRecords per Page
\n50
\nDisplaying 1 - 1 of 1
\n______
\n
\nObviously this report is not about pesticide application.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nContinued searching on the public IRMA portal<\/p>\n

For \"PUPS\"
\n
\n1
\n87781
\n1982
\nJournal Article
\nThe ontogeny of kin recognition in two species of ground squirrels
\nWarren G Holmes, Paul W Sherman
\n
\nGround squirrel babies -- pups. The entire database for Yosemite does not mention their chemical database PUPS even once.<\/p>\n

For insecticides: One...
\nThis link is only about pesticide drift from outside the Park...
\n
\nSummertime transport of current-use pesticides from California's central valley to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, USA
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nAgricultural activity in California's Central Valley may be an important source of pesticides that are transported in the air to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, USA. Pesticides applied to this intensive crop production area may volatilize under warm temperatures typical of the valley and be transported through the atmosphere to be deposited in the cooler, higher elevation regions of the Sierra Nevada mountains. To determine the extent of summertime atmospheric transport of pesticides to this region, high volume air, dry depositing, and surface water samples were collected in the Central Valley and at different elevations in California's Sequoia National Park. Results revealed that the high...more
\nLeNoir JS and Others. 1999. Summertime transport of current-use pesticides from California's central valley to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 18(12):2715\u20132722
\nhttps:\/\/setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/etc.5620181210<\/font><\/p>\n


\n_____________________________________________
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSearched on the public IRMA portal<\/p>\n

For herbicide: No results found
\nFor application data: 10 or so. None relevant except I enjoyed one which was bragging about an \"application\" for a cell phone tracking app. So they would have better data for Park sales points. \ud83d\ude06<\/p>\n

<\/font><\/p>\n


\nSeriously National Park \"Service\" ?<\/font><\/p>\n


\n_____________________________________________
\n<\/font><\/p>\n


\nThis is going to be the start of a permaculture sustainability project to obtain the National Park Service (NPS) Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Database. If you would like to be a part of this project please email or call.<\/p>\n

vidaaquatic@gmail.com
\nhttp:\/\/www.puravidaaquatic.com\/<\/p>\n

310-429-8477
\n<\/Font>
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http:\/\/www.puravidaaquatic.com\/
\nhttp:\/\/www.puravidaaquatics.com\/
\n310-429-8477<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Timeline so far Thursday Oct 19th 2023 FOIA filed asking for pesticide use information in three of the national parks; Yosemite, Sequoia, and Everglades Start: I would like to thank whoever is researching this as I know it is sometimes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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