Timber Firm Drops Plan To Spray Pesticides

Boise Cascade Corp. has dropped a controversial plan to spray insecticide on 10,000 acres of forest land in the Huckleberry and Summit mountain ranges of central Stevens County.

Company forester Phil Anderson confirmed the decision Saturday, which was tentatively announced Thursday at state forest practices appeals hearing in Olympia.

Anderson said the decision was based on spruce budworm larvae counts - not pressure from groups that opposed the spraying.

The appeal hearing on this year’s spraying plan was suspended, but another hearing was scheduled for late September to determine whether the state Department of Natural Resources should allow future use of carbaryl insecticide.

The Spokane Tribe and a coalition of seven environmental organizations contends the DNR should require a supplemental environmental impact statement or simply prohibit use of the chemical.