The Board Of County Commissioners is sending a letter to Pope Resources and state agencies to ask for the end of aerial spraying of known carcinogens, such as glyphosate, on harvested timberlands.

But is a letter enough?

For members of the public, who claim they were sprayed by a helicopter herbicide spray rig at a clearcut above Discovery Bay on Aug. 19, a letter won’t stop whatever follows that kind of exposure to the herbicide more commonly known as Roundup, which University of Washington researchers have concluded is a carcinogen.

“For many of us that just got sprayed, the time has passed to do anything about that,” said Ellen O’Shea the head farmer at Eaglemount Farm and an advocate against aerial spraying who was at the Pope clearcut where protesters claim they were sprayed. “But the fact that this letter is going to a broad spectrum of groups is a good thing. I think it’s the right route.”

In their letter, commissioners “encourage” these organizations to:

Research other methods and best practices as alternatives to aerial spraying of glyphosate and other potentially harmful chemicals used in commercial forestry

Develop a testing and monitoring protocol for water quality in watersheds where toxic chemicals are applied

Regulate clear communication with citizens who live near spray areas

Prohibit the aerial application of known and suspected carcinogens

“Many of our constituents are very concerned for the health of this community and the ecosystems that support it,” the letter states.

“We implore you, as the agencies and boards responsible for setting policy and regulation, and as a company with major timber holdings in Jefferson County, to find solutions that balance the well-being of our residents with the viability of the timber industry.”

Passing a resolution to ban aerial spraying altogether is out of the county’s jurisdiction, said commissioner David Sullivan.

“If we pass something out of our authority it can be challenged in court,” Sullivan said.

Battling the legality of passing a law outside of their authority wastes county money and staff resources, he added.

“We’re hoping to heighten the awareness of the issue and have the state take more responsibility to coordinate all these different agencies who do have jurisdiction,” Sullivan said.

The state’s Aerial Herbicide Application Working Group, led by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Agriculture is charged with reviewing best practices of aerial application of herbicides on forestland across the state. They will present a report, including findings, recommendations and draft legislation to the Governor’s Office and the Legislature by Dec. 31.

Contacted by phone after the county commission meeting, Pope’s spokesman said the commission’s letter will not change Pope operations. “It’s perfectly appropriate for county commissions to express the concerns of their constituents to the various bodies that regulate these types of activities,” Pope Vice President Adrian Miller said.

Pope, which owns and manages about 69,000 acres of forestland in Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties, sprays glyphosate on clear cuts to suppress weeds and unwanted brush growth.

After clearcutting wrapped up in June, Pope announced it would be aerially spraying sections of its Hood Canal regional holdings and released 16 maps that showed areas to be sprayed in Jefferson County, including clear cuts near Tarboo Lake, Anderson Lake and Eaglemount.

At its meeting on Monday Aug. 26, Jefferson County’s commissioners approved a letter that will be sent to Thomas M. Ringo, the CEO of Pope Resources as well as a host of state agencies and working groups, including the Washington State Aerial Herbicide Application Working Group; the Washington State Pesticide Application Safety Committee; Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz; Director of the state Department of Agriculture, Derek Sandison; the state Secretary of Health, John Wiesman; the director of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kelly Susewind; the state Forest Practices Board; and Governor Jay Inslee.

The Commissioners’ chamber was packed Aug. 26 for their weekly business meeting and the public comment period ran for an hour as nearly 20 people spoke up about aerial spraying.

Many expressed concern with the investigation into the spraying that occured Aug. 19 near Discovery Bay, where a group of citizens were protesting.

“At the time, I was not trespassing,” said David Baker, who took a video of a helicopter spraying Pope land near the spot where he and other protesters had picketed. “It’s an aerated spray, it’s not a liquid. My clothes didn’t get wet, my hair wasn’t wet. But I was breathing this. I tasted it and smelled it.”

But Pope’s spokesperson Adrian Miller said the herbicide spray includes drift control agents and is sprayed through larger-gauge nozzles. “Collectively those make larger drops that go from the nozzle directly to the ground. There is no transformation of that liquid into a gas.” He said aerosolization is possible with some sprays, but not this mix.

He said Pope’s position, based on the pilot’s observations and those of Pope’s on-the-ground forester, is that neither Baker nor anyone else was hit by herbicide.

“We do not believe anyone was exposed to chemicals during our operations,” Miller said. “We also do not believe any drift occurred.”