Opinion: Just say Mow! Help stop herbicide spraying on our roads

Patty Mayall is a resident of La Honda.

NOTE: There will be a public information table Saturday from 11am to 2pm in front of Safeway in Half Moon Bay.

The San Mateo County Public Works Road Department sprays RoundUp (Glyphosate)  an herbicide, along the unincorporated county roads before sunrise on an unspecified morning between January and April, without any notification before, during or after the application.  For the past 30 years or so, on the 320 miles of these roads, over half are sprayed once or twice a year. The County does mow along these roadsides, which many of us local residents strongly support, as well as all of their hard work to maintain our roads.

In March of 2006, a few of us La Honda area residents volunteered our time to collect signatures on a petition which requests that spraying is stopped and that mowing is supported.  We are working with the Public Works folks to make this change, with the help of Supervisor Gordon and his staff.  Due to our signatures and calls, for the first time ever, notifications were posted in the La Honda area before spraying in June of 2006.  Pescadero residents spoke out and stopped the spraying on their county roads in the 1990’s. Marin County has not sprayed for the past 30 years and mows twice a year.  Santa Cruz County has a moratorium on spraying for 3 years.

Many of us believe that mowing is most effective for all purposes without the significant health risks to people, our waterways, and wildlife that glyphosate imposes.  The spray is applied above and along our roadsides which include open drainage ditches which flow into local creeks.  With the heavy rains and run-off of the season when they spray, many of us are concerned of the risks to our waterways, including our own drinking water sources, which are wells, or springs, often near creeks.  Another serious risk is the impact on insects, amphibians, birds and other wildlife.  For many of these species, the vulnerable birthing season occurs during the months when the spray is applied.  The significant human and environmental health impacts have been scientifically studied and documented over many years.  Click on the link to download a well-referenced article on glyphosate [pdf].

We will continue to collect signatures at local post offices or shopping centers.  Our next info. table will be on Aug. 5, Saturday, 11 am- 2 pm in front of Safeway, Strawflower Shopping Center in Half Moon Bay. We encourage all residents and visitors to sign, as these are public roads and our tax dollars.  We especially need folks to sign who live on unincorporated roads that are sprayed.  We’d greatly appreciate any time that people can give with collecting signatures.  We will need folks at a furure Board of Supervisors’ meeting. For additional info., or to be on our contact list, please call me, Patty Mayall at 650-851-1902.

To register your concerns about spraying or no notification of it on your road, call Supervisor Rich Gordon:  650-363-4569. Request no spraying around your property and notification of spraying by calling the County Road Dept.:  650-363-4149. Post “No Spray” signs around your property.

Please attend the first Public Works’ Community Meeting on Roadside Spraying: Sept. 20, Wed., 7 p.m. at the Cuesta La Honda Clubhouse.  From Hwy. 1, take Hwy. 84 east to La Honda, turn right on Entrada (at Apple Jack’s), then right on Escondido, park in front of the playground, go up the stairway—follow the "Just Say Mow" signs.  We hope to have more of these meetings and will keep you posted here.

Patty Mayall
La Honda