Why is the U.S. Forest Service Treating Forests With Roundup?
And what are the implications?
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Yesterday, Mother Jones published an investigation into the use of Roundup on our national forests.
The essay, written by Nate Halverson, exposes the negative impacts of these procedures.
Halverson and his neighbors, who live in Northern California, received a letter from the Forest Service claiming that Lassen National Forest was “part of an ambitious new wildfire recovery project,” which included the use of “herbicides.”
“The Forest Service would, starting in spring 2026, spray glyphosate on some 10,000 acres of public land in Lassen to wipe out leafy plants and shrubs that might compete with replanted conifers, whose needles allow them to tolerate the chemical.”
From an article from the Rachel Carson Council:
“In March of 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) categorized glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen” based on both human evidence and experimental animal studies. This means that there is evidence, though limited, linking glyphosate to cancer in humans, along with sufficient evidence linking glyphosate to cancer in animals. Thus, glyphosate is associated in particular with an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma..”
Halverson and a colleague began researching the agency’s use of Roundup– their finding are mind-boggling. Over 250,000 pounds of the liquid herbicide were applied to California forests in 2023. TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX THOUSAND POUNDS, to be exact. According to their research, “forest uses have become the herbicide’s fastest-growing market in California.”
If you’ve read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, you know that the U.S. government has repeatedly failed to protect the environment and its citizens. Carson’s revelations in Silent Spring resulted in a national ban on DDT, a harmful pesticide. Carson advocated for the use of the term “biocide” in place of “pesticide,” because these chemicals never solely impact the targeted plants without harming the overall environment (and humans).
In my book, Hotshot, I wrote about how the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) leveraged public fear of fire in order to implement full suppression policies, causing irreparable harm to fire-adapted ecosystems and ultimately leading to the age of megafires.
In my book, Hotshot, I wrote about how the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) leveraged public fear of fire in order to implement full suppression policies, causing irreparable harm to fire-adapted ecosystems and ultimately leading to the age of megafires.
In order to justify fire suppression, the USFS suppressed science supporting prescribed burning and “good” fire, and recruited timber companies to produce false scientific evidence in support of fire suppression.
Halverson uncovered a similar campaign, executed by Monsanto:
“The collected documents detail a secret campaign the company hatched in the late 1990s—not unlike the ones used by Big Tobacco decades earlier—to counter public health concerns and convince government agencies to keep approving its multibillion-dollar product. They show how Monsanto orchestrated, financed, and even ghostwrote studies that were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals under the names of supposedly independent researchers—papers that state and federal agencies have relied upon to justify copious spraying of Roundup.” (emphasis mine)
According to Halverson’s findings, Monsanto sought research to support claims of Glyphosate’s safety. They went so far as to hire a British scientist, James Parry, but were unhappy with his findings– that “glyphosate potentially caused clastogenicity—chromosome damage—which can lead to cancer.” When Parry suggested more testing was needed, Monsanto refused to pursue these recommendations, electing instead to seek scientists who would produce positive (false) findings.
They scientists they recruited did not examine external sources, instead relying only on internal Monsanto research. They produced scholarly papers, but as Halverson discovered, lied about Monsanto’s involvement:
Williams et al. wrote: “Neither any Monsanto company employees nor any attorneys reviewed any of the Expert Panel’s manuscripts prior to submission to the journal.”
“The declaration also said the authors ‘were not directly contacted by the Monsanto Company,’ which wasn’t true, either. Monsanto employees had exchanged emails with at least some of them, provided comments and edits on drafts, and in some cases agreed to pay authors tens of thousands of dollars.
Halverson’s findings are revelatory. Monsanto not only made false claims about the safety of glyphosate (Roundup), they orchestrated research that produced false evidence of that safety, and lied about it.
What I’ve written and quoted here only scratches the surface of the Mother Jones investigation. I strongly encourage you to read the entire piece.
Not only is glyphosate toxic, the use of pesticides for ecological health is totally unnecessary– but it’s cheaper than alternative methods. Treating forests with glyphosate imbalances ecosystems and, in my estimation, will lead to more catastrophic fires, because these chemicals degrade the overall health of forests, killing all undergrowth, including the important fungal and bacteria networks that support soil stability. This can lead to catastrophic mudslides and poisonous runoff.
The use of pesticides speaks to our federal priorities: war, manipulation, and filling the pockets of greedy corporations. We could be employing humans to conduct prescribed burns and restore ecological balance, but instead, our federal agencies are prioritizing relationships with dishonest chemical and biological manufacturers, as well as timber companies.
“The state’s No. 1 forest sprayer in 2023, records show, was Sierra Pacific Industries, a timber company owned by billionaire Trump supporter Archie Aldis “Red” Emmerson. Sierra Pacific is the largest landowner in the state and the second-largest in the country, controlling more acreage than Ted Turner and Bill Gates put together. It was responsible for 70 percent of reported glyphosate spraying in California’s wooded areas that year, including the lands near my cabin. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment—ditto the timber company Collins, another major user.”
I’ve no doubt that federal officials partnering with the companies are benefiting financially, via personal payouts.
I never like to leave my readers feeling hopeless, and this isn’t a hopeless situation. If you live in areas impacted by the use of glyphosate or other pesticides (again, read the article), act locally. Contact your local politicians and voice your opinions. Investigate those who are running for office and hold them accountable. We do have the power to make an impact. And make sure to share your thoughts in the comments.