A local group wants to apply pesticides to Vancouver Lake to control milfoil. Conventional pest control tends to ignore the causes of infestations and rely on routine pesticide applications. Pesticides are temporary fixes at best. The EPA requires those applying pesticides in the aquatic environment to have an Integrated Pest Management Plan to control the pest with nonchemical means. If the weed continues to meet the threshold of being a problem, spot application of chemicals for this purpose by the FDA would be used. This group has tried to declare an emergency to spray chemicals.
We need to develop and implement a long-term management plan supported by science and the community. The city of Vancouver, Clark County and the Port of Vancouver have contractual obligations from the 1980 Vancouver Lake Cleanup they are not meeting. It is only right they unite and support an ongoing Vancouver Lake Partnership process. This group had credible management tools identified, but lacked a fishery and a sediment study before they could prepare a proper lake management plan. The partnership process was killed by David Madore, Tom Mielke and Don Benton.
