Farallones Poison Drop is back before the CCC in May.

[Ruess]

Here we go again …. The Farallones "Poison Drop" is coming back before the California Coastal Commission.  Richard Charter has created a new video PSA; 1 1/2 minutes explaining the whole thing; released today I believe.

https://youtu.be/2bEcyWaVgX0

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be interested and to use in any way you see fit.

On May 12, 13, or 14, 2021, the California Coastal Commission will decide whether or not to permit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use helicopters to scatter 1.5 tons of cereal bait onto the Southeast Farallon Island to try to keep eight to ten Burrowing Owls from coming to the island from the Marin Headlands to eat mice that live there. You can comment on this NOW at farallo...@coastal.ca.gov.  Thank you.

You are also welcome to follow Richard on Twitter and the video can be retweeted from there, at @RichardACharter.

Take good care.  Enjoy this beautiful spring,

Rue

[creek shade]

Hi Rue,

Thanks so much for sending. It’s really shocking to see such a waste of resources. The United States FWS  has also recently provided permission to  log / clear cut thousands of acres of spotted owl- occupied forests. 

Has someone else written a sign on letter against the poison drop?

Rather than writing letters one at a time, I just wish we could write to this agency itself, calling into question all its motives. Chasing one issue at a time just doesn’t cover the amount of damage they are doing...

Best regards, 

Maya

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

                                    - Margaret Mead

Sent from Maya's iPhone

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[creek shade]

Respected Biologists and Managers,

My understanding is that you are considering the use of toxic rodenticide drops over the Farallones. 

I would like to draw your attention to a 2-year risk assessment study examining the toxic effects of rodenticides on non-target animals including raptors. Our study used ecological risk assessment calculations based on previously established toxicity data, and included a wide variety of commonly used rodenticides including diphacinone, imidacloprid and zinc phosphide. Please note that brodifacoum, which has been used in the past, is a rodenticide in the same anticoagulant family as diphacinone. Imidacloprid is sometimes blended into the anticoagulant rodenticides and is also extremely toxic to non-target receptors including native birds (Mineau and Palmer 2013). 

As the name indicates, anticoagulant rodenticides cause animals to bleed internally. Causes of mortality are internal hemorrhaging and related toxicity effects (McMillin 2017); non-target wildlife is definitely impacted (Lima and Salmon 2010; Hosea 2000; US EPA 1998a). Significant toxic impacts have been observed on screech owls, great-horned owls and golden eagles. These previously obtained toxicity studies indicate negative impacts are anticipated for burrowing owls and other native birds. 

Our study concluded that rodenticide drops would have heavy impacts on non-target wildlife including protected and sensitive species. Furthermore, many rodenticides can persist, which can result in exposure over longer terms.

Please consider my note as a strong recommendation against pesticide drops on the Farallone Islands. We cannot afford to lose more wildlife. Please consider using non-toxic rodent removal options, if at all, or benign neglect. 

Multiple other references and our exposure dose calculations are available if desired.

Best regards, 

Maya Khosla

Wildlife Biologist and Toxicologist

Selected References

Hosea, R. 2000. Exposure of Non-Target Wildlife to Anticoagulant Target Wildlife to Anticoagulant Rodenticides in California. Proceedings of the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference.

Lima L. and T. Salmon. 2010. Assessing some potential environmental impacts from agricultural anticoagulant uses. Proceedings of the 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference. Proceedings of Vertebrate Pest Conference. University of California Davis. 199-203.

McMillin, S. 2017. Conference Paper: Impacts to non-target wildlife from rodenticide use in urban areas. Urban Wildlife Conference. June 7.

Mineau, P. and C. Palmer. 2013. The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds. American Bird Conservancy Report.

US EPA.1991. Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED): Rodenticide Cluster. EPA 738-F-98-004.