Commissioner Handy speaks with Community Volunteer, Jan Wroncy
Commissioner Handy is impressed with the commitment of the many community members who volunteer their time serving on County committees and commissions, and who work tirelessly on behalf of Lane County. Commissioner Handy expressed his appreciation for the work of one of these community members, Jan Wroncy, when he met with her to talk about her background, the work of the Lane County Vegetation Management Advisory Committee (VMAC), and her perspectives about issues affecting the health of our community.
Jan moved to Oregon in 1967, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Oregon. For many years she was involved in diverse fields of scientific research, including air pollution inquiries at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography where Jan assisted Dr. T. J. Chow with the data analysis of the isotopic composition of the lead found in samples from Mt. Lassen, and from the Antarctic which provided a "fingerprint" identical to the lead added to gasoline. This link between toxic lead in the air and its source finally resulted in a ban of leaded gasoline many years later.
Jan also worked with a team of scientists conducting research on Nitrogen Cycling in the canopy of old-growth Douglas firs at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest near Blue River Oregon, assisting with analysis of lab samples at the University of Oregon and field work at Blue River.
Jan directs Gaia Visions and conducts organic farming and forestry on her organic farm in the Coast Range of Lane County.
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RH: Please share with me and my constituents your motivation for getting involved in long term efforts to stop pesticide and herbicide use.
Jan: Through my various scientific pursuits I have gained an appreciation for the delicate balance between humankind and the environment. For nearly 30 years I have been engaged in organic/no spray farming and forestry practices throughout the Willamette Valley and in areas of the Coast Range. These experiences have shown me that man-made pesticides are not necessary for either farming or forestry. I am committed to working for a spray/pesticide free environment because I have learned, and experienced firsthand the negative effects of chemicals on people and the natural environment, and the quality of life that can be had without chemical exposure.
RH: I know the issues that the VMAC deals with are important to the health of our community. However, I don’t think the full Board of Commissioner’s or community members have heard much about the work of the VMAC recently. Indeed, as we speak some are attempting to eliminate this important committee. Please bring me up to date on the issues the VMAC worked on in 2010.
Jan: The Board of Commissioners may not fully appreciate the work that VMAC has contributed, but hopefully better communication with the Board will improve their awareness of VMAC's value. The VMAC did a lot of work in 2010 that hasn’t all been communicated to the Board. For example, we have worked on a new program, which may be called Adopt-a-Roadside or Adopt-a-Weed similar to the program that the Oregon Department of Transportation now has statewide. Citizens will be able to volunteer to adopt a section of Lane County roads to manually remove noxious or invasive plants. This will help Lane County remove problem plants that mowing may not be able to adequately control. Hence, in keeping with the Herbicide-Free Program, no herbicides will be needed.
RH: I’m certain the public would be interested in learning about the work of the VMAC. Can you talk about some of the opportunities that lie ahead, and how the VMAC is preparing to take advantage of new opportunities? For example, has the VMAC discussed the precautionary principle, alternatives assessment, the public’s right to know, and related issues?
Jan: Some important opportunities that lie ahead are restoration of damaged roadsides from years of herbicide spraying; establishment of low maintenance and natural plant communities; improvement of water quality protection of streams to help restore salmon habitat; and elimination of harmful chemical toxins from our environment to improve human health, to restore and protect fish and wildlife; and to show respect for the environment which sustains us.
These programs will help VMAC hone our skills with the Precautionary Principle, Public Right-to-Know, and Alternative Assessment approaches to better serve the public and the Board.
RH: I know you are busy with your family, farm and nonprofit work. How do you find the time, and what motivates you to volunteer your time on behalf of Lane County?
Jan: As a concerned citizen and member of the public, I feel responsible to share my knowledge in a manner that will help protect families and properties from herbicide use in my community, and to help inform people throughout our county about the negative health effects of pesticide and herbicide exposure.
I had a very disconcerting experience quite a few years ago that really got my attention.
My family was living in a rural area, and subsequently discovered we were being exposed to herbicide spraying, even though no agencies (Lane County, Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service) were spraying at the time. As it turned out, the town near Triangle Lake, where we were living, was being drifted on by from private timber spraying, and the company doing the spraying was not required to notify the public of their activities. We discovered this after thinking we would be safe from spray in this rural area of Lane County, especially because Lane County had a moratorium on spraying and both the BLM and the Forest Service were under court-ordered injunctions preventing them from spraying.
RH: It sounds like you and your family have been through a lot. I know there is information available about the negative health effects of chemical exposure, but helping people become aware and informed is always a challenge. What other events or experiences have helped inform your knowledge of, and work on herbicide and pesticide spray issues?
Jan: A combination of experiences has contributed to my knowledge of the issues associated with, and effects of, herbicides and pesticides. I educated myself about forest practices and helped put together a plan for notifying communities about pending spray operations by private timber companies, BLM, Forest Service, the Oregon Department of Transportation and others. I have a background in science and have used that knowledge to further inform myself about the effects of pesticides and herbicides on humans and other living things.
I also worked on Governor Goldschmidt’s task force on field burning, where I discovered that the pesticides being applied to grass seed fields generated deadly toxins such as dioxin when burned. I also discovered that many timber companies were adding harmful chemicals to slash piles to help them burn hot and fast. That experience ultimately motivated me to make my first move further away from urban areas. And, after moving to the very rural community of Low Pass, to get away from field burning and traffic pollution, I discovered we were being exposed to BLM spraying. We later moved to Deadwood, where we experienced even worse herbicide spraying impacts. In fact, my son, Forest (now 30), and I were both becoming ill from the effects of herbicide spray. In 1997, I was diagnosed with a genetic metabolic disorder called variegate porphyria, that renders me unable to detoxify these poisons. Thus these non-consensual exposures to herbicides and other pesticides exacerbated my condition.
RH: What can be done to inform communities and non-scientists about the issues and concerns associated with herbicide and pesticide exposure? Do you foresee this being something that VMAC can address? With looming budget cuts at the state and county levels, does the work of the VMAC seem encumbered?
Jan: One of the important areas of concern that VMAC still needs to address is the illegal spraying of Lane County Right-of-Way by the neighboring land owners. This is counter to the Lane County Board of Health/Board of Commissions moratorium on herbicide spraying on the Right-of-Way. This not only has a devastating effect on the health of the road users and to neighbors to the roads, negative effects on neighboring lands, fish, wildlife, and waterways, but further damages the soil fertility and ecological balance necessary to restore low maintenance and native plant communities to the Lane County Right-of-Way. Also the use of chemical herbicides actually invites more troublesome plants to invade.
The Vegetation Management Advisory Committee acts as a forum for public input into the Lane County Vegetation Management, and therefore there would be a devastating impact from the loss of the VMAC. I urge you and your colleagues on the Board of Commissioners, and members of the public, to recognize the need for, and importance of, supporting the continuation of VMAC.
RH: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Jan: I have a very simple message to share with you and your constituents, which is employ people, not chemicals. We need jobs, not poisons. The 'crop' we really need to concentrate on growing is not chemically produced timber or chemically produced food, or chemically managed landscapes. The crop we need to grow is our children - truly our most important resource and our only future.
Because humankind has the capability of destroying the environment, we also have the enormous responsibility of making sure we DO NOT destroy the environment! It is up to adults to make the right decisions.
RH: Jan, I am just so impressed by your motivation and knowledge. Thank you very much for the work you do serving our community.