Invasive GE
Eucalyptus Threatens Southern Forests & Water
Source: Common Dreams.org
checkbiotech.org
Friday, February 12, 2010
The U.S. Department of Agriculture re-released their draft
environmental assessment [1] regarding a request by ArborGen,
a subsidiary of timber giants International Paper and MeadWestvaco, to plant
over a quarter of a million genetically engineered eucalyptus trees in
so-called "test plots" across seven southern U.S. states. [2]
"If these invasive GE eucalyptus
are planted across the South on this large of a scale, it is highly likely that
fertile seeds will escape into surrounding forests," said Dr. Neil Carman,
a plant scientist with the Sierra Club. "This is a major problem since
eucalyptus is already known for its invasiveness. Once they escape into the
forests, there is no way to call them back. It would be an ecological nightmare
for southern forests."
The environmental assessment was re-released by the USDA
after groups concerned about the environmental impacts of transgenic eucalyptus
trees pointed out that the assessment was missing key hydrological studies
conducted by the U.S. Forest Service that directly refute the conclusions of
the USDA's draft environmental assessment which recommend approving ArborGen's request. The USFS studies point out that
eucalyptus trees have heavy water requirements and can seriously impact ground
and surface water reserves. [3]
The USDA is seeking public comments on their draft
environmental assessment through February 18th, 2010. [4]
"In countries that are already suffering the impacts of
large-scale eucalyptus plantations--like Brazil, Chile and South Africa--people
have organized massive campaigns against them," stated Anne Petermann, Executive Director of Global Justice Ecology
Project and North American representative of the Global Forest Coalition.
"This is because eucalyptus plantations have devastated forests and
communities. In
Other new information in the assessment reveals that some of
the supposedly infertile engineered eucalyptus trees in existing field trials
produced fertile seeds. Eucalyptus is a non-native tree and numerous species of
eucalyptus are already considered invasive. This new transgenic (or GMO)
eucalyptus has been engineered to tolerate colder temperatures giving it the
potential for invading forest ecosystems throughout the South.
"I had hoped that the disaster of kudzu would have
taught us the consequences of releasing invasive species into the environment,"
agreed Scot Quaranda, Campaign Director for the
Dogwood Alliance. "Instead, ArborGen wants to
release invasive GE eucalyptus trees. Unlike kudzu, however, these trees are
not only invasive, they are also highly flammable and
use huge quantities of fresh water.
The STOP GE Trees Campaign [5] is working with the Center
for Food Safety on plans to stop ArborGen's proposal
to release hundreds of thousands of genetically engineered eucalyptus trees
across the U.S. South. "This is a very slippery slope," warns George Kimbrell, an attorney for the Center for Food Safety.
"Allowing the release of these GE eucalyptus trees will set a legal
precedent that could allow the release of genetically engineered poplars or
pines--which have wild relatives across the continent. The commercial release
of engineered versions of native trees would lead to the contamination of
forests with engineered pollen. Once this occurs there is absolutely nothing
that can be done to stop the further contamination of more forests. We have to
stop the release of GE trees before this contamination occurs."
The public is encouraged to submit comments to the USDA
regarding the ArborGen proposal to release 260,000
genetically engineered cold tolerant eucalyptus trees across seven southern
states. For details on this, please visit:
http://www.globaljusticeecology.org/stopgetrees.php?tabs=0
[1] To download the USDA's December 17, 2009 revised draft
environmental assessment, go to:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/08_014101rm_ea2.pdf
[2] The seven states targeted for ArborGen's
GE eucalyptus deployment are
[3] The summary findings of the USFS with regard to the
impacts of eucalyptus plantations on water resources can be found on page 57 of
the new USDA draft environmental assessment. These findings include the fact
that the water usage by eucalyptus plantations is at least double the water
usage by other forest types, and that afforestation
to eucalyptus plantations will reduce stream flow, lower the water table and
affect groundwater recharge.
[4] Comments to the USDA can be submitted at:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006...
[5] Global Justice Ecology Project coordinates the STOP
Genetically Engineered Trees Campaign. The Sierra Club and Dogwood Alliance are
part of the Steering Committee for the Campaign. For more information on the
campaign, go to: http://www.nogetrees.org.
Source: Common Dreams.org
checkbiotech.org