This document is from the Lincoln County, Oregon, Community Rights campaign’s official response to the propaganda circulating against their proposed ordinance, titled “Freedom of Lincoln County from Aerially-Sprayed Pesticides”, that will be on the county ballot on May 16th.
The ordinance will:
- Ban aircraft application of pesticides on clearcut forest land in Lincoln County.
- Protect our right to choose clean drinking water.
- Relieve our families and properties, wildlife and watershed from pesticide drift.
- Allow spray by backpack or tractor for farm, home, or fishing boat applications.
- Establish a local bill of rights to enable people to make important decisions about what happens in our community.
- Affirm and protect our rights to safety guaranteed to us under the Oregon State Constitution Article 1.
- Safeguard our wildlife from Atrazine and 2,4-D
Here’s the CR group’s response to the ongoing misinformation campaign:
1) That our definition of “aerial” is so broad that it even bans pesticide application methods pulled by a tractor.
FALSE: The term “aerial method” in Measure 21-177 means from/by air which could be by helicopter, plane, or drone. Even the Oregon Department of Agriculture is clear that aerial means by air:
2) That family farms would be the most affected by this ban.
FALSE: It affects large out of state corporations that are poisoning our water in the Siletz gorge.
3) That our ordinance is a justification for Direct Action which according to the opposition could be violent.
FALSE: Think Susan B Anthony. Think lunch counter sit-ins. Think women voting when it was legal to deny women that right.
And you can view the campaign’s website HERE.