The Use of Herbicides at Great River Greening
9/14/2015.
We take the issue of herbicide safety very seriously at Great River Greening. The safety of our staff, our volunteers, the public at large, and the environment within which we work necessitate that if we do use herbicides, we do so with the utmost care. We use alternatives to herbicides whenever possible, provided that they deliver solid results. Successful ecological restoration necessitates that herbicides be an integral tool in our restoration toolbox. In areas impacted by non-native or highly-competitive species, our goal is to restore ecological function and give our native species and ecological systems a fighting chance. Herbicides – in combination with an array of other tools – can provide that extra edge. As such, they are commonly used within the restoration industry. To safeguard our employees and the environment (and in line with state and federal laws), all herbicide applicators employed or contracted by Great River Greening are trained and certified. We never use herbicides at volunteer events, and we halt usage at a site 7-10 days prior to any scheduled event.
Update: The statement above reflects the policy as of September 2015. A link to Great River Greening’s current policy can be found here: https://www.greatrivergreening.org/herbicide