CITIZENS OPPOSED TO AERIAL PESTICIDE SPRAYING AGAINST BUDWORM 
     
     FORM NATIONAL COALITION 
     
    
   
   
    
     Groups concerned with aerial forest spraying for Spruce Budworm 
     
     met on Nov. 23 in Ottawa and formed the first national coalition 
     
     against aerial spraying. Representatives from six provinces 
     
     voted to co-operate in an information and strategy exchange 
     
     program to focus national attention on the issue of aerial 
     
     pesticide spraying. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1978, New Brunswick and Quebec will mount massive aerial Spruce 
     
     Budworm spray programs and the governments of British Columbia and 
     
     Newfoundland have expressed the desire to proceed in a similar 
     
     fashion. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Coalition's first resolution was to commend Vincent MacLean, 
     
     Nova Scotia Minister of Lands-and Forests for "an intelligent and 
     
     courageous" decision not to spray insecticides to combat Budworm. 
     
     Premier Gerald Regan announced the decision not to spray last 
     
     February on the grounds that spraying was ineffective in controlling 
     
     Budworm infestation, posed serious hazards to the Environment and 
     
     human health, and was counter-productive to good forest management. 
     
     The Cape Breton Island area, with the most severe infestation, 
     
     experienced a 60% drop in egg mass‘counts in 1977. In contrast, 
     
     the provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec where intensive aerial 
     
     spraying took place had dramatic increases in egg mass counts. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Tree mortality in Cape Breton from Budworm attack was 50% less than 
     
     predicted by the Nova Scotia Pulp and Paper Industry. The industry 
     
     also incorrectly predicted the loss of 2,000 jobs if spraying was 
     
     not carried out. The Nova Scotia Government has indicated that 
     
     new jobs will be created, in addition to those in pulp operations, 
     
     through labour—intensive silviculture programs. The Pulp and Paper 
     
     Industry of Nova Scotia has not suffered any economic hardship from 
     
     the decision not to spray. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Coalition endorsed the efforts of the Concerned Parents Group 
     
     in New Brunswick to force the spray company to comply with Federal 
     
     laws which prohibit spraying of water supplies, farmlands and 
     
     inhabited areas. Concerned Parents Group is currently involved in 
     
     legal action after filing 32 charges of quasi-criminal violation of 
     
     Federal laws by Forest Protection Ltd. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Coalition Against Aerial Spraying expressed disappointment that 
     
     Federal Forestry Officials had not consented to meet with them. 
     
     "This is a national problem and it is shocking that the Federal 
     
     Department most involved in the issue should refuse to meet with 
     
     concerned citizens", said Elizabeth May of Cape Breton Landowners. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Coalition announced an "International Anti-spray Coalition 
     
     Conference" which was held in Halifax on December 8 and issues of 
     
     Forest Management and health hazards of spraying were discussed. 
     
     Also stressed by the Coalition was the need for studies of the 
     
     effects of spraying programs on the population of Quebec and New 
     
     Brunswick as well as pure research in the area of insect 
     
     population dynamics and biological controls. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Canadian Nature Federation 
     
    

    
     News Release 
     
    

    
     Nov. 23, 1977 
     
    

    
     contact: Rick Pratt 
     
     (613)238-6154