© Conservation Council of New Brunswick 2024
Herbicides
There is no reason to spray Glyphosate in New Brunswick forests
Spraying herbicides accelerates the collapse of biodiversity in our forests.
Approximately 15,000 hectares of public, Crown forest is sprayed each year, beginning in August and continued through September. Glyphosate, the main active ingredient in most herbicides used in New Brunswick Crown forest operations, is a controversial chemical known to affect beneficial insects, bird populations and Freshwater fish, thereby affecting other wildlife that is dependent on these food and shelter sources. Over 35,0000 New Brunswickers want Glyphosate out of their food, water, and first and foremost their Forests.
Below, learn more about our campaign to end herbicide spraying in the Crown forest, what’s wrong with spraying herbicides, and how you can help bring an end to this old-fashioned, citizen-funded practice.
Learn about glyphosate using the drop-downs below!
The problem with spraying glyphosate-based herbicides
A) N.B. uses more glyphosate in forestry than any other province
Every year starting in August and continuing through September, companies spray large swaths of clear cuts with products containing glyphosate. These herbicides being sprayed in N.B.’s Crown forest are a symptom of a larger problem—an old-fashioned management regime that sees corporate profits and timber supply trump human safety and the environment. In 2016, New Brunswick’s Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Action Plan on Glyphosate found that New Brunswick uses more glyphosate per hectare of harvested forest than any province in Canada.
B) There are already successful alternatives
Contrary to industry claims, alternatives to glyphosate are not only available but have also been successfully implemented elsewhere. Quebec stopped using herbicides in forestry over 20 years ago. West Fraser, one of Canada’s largest forestry companies, recently announced that it will no longer apply herbicides as part of its silviculture practices in British Columbia and is working to find alternatives to herbicide use in other areas where it operates. It’s clear that forest management does not need herbicide use to be economical.
C) health risks are not being properly assessed
Bayer (and previously Monsanto) lost numerous multibillion-dollar lawsuits that link the use of herbicides containing glyphosate to cancer. A similar class action lawsuit against Bayer was launched on behalf of Canadians in December 2023.
In June 2022, the US Supreme Court refused to hear two appeals from the company trying to get out of paying. Meanwhile, also in June 2022, a California appeals court ordered the US Environmental Protection Agency to review its 2019 glyphosate re-authorization, saying the agency did not adequately consider the human health and ecological risks associated with its use.
The same thing happened here in Canada in February 2022, when the Federal Court of Appeal sent Health Canada back to the drawing board on its 2017 glyphosate renewal, and gave the department strongly-worded direction on how to conduct a proper review to avoid “the endless merry-go-round” of court applications.
However, in January 2023, Health Canada renewed its registration for glyphosate-based herbicides for five additional years, despite being required to conduct a rigorous scientific assessment of glyphosate. Environmental and food advocacy groups responded to this decision by taking Health Canada to court for failing to conduct a thorough assessment.
Although Health Canada asserts that glyphosate is not a cancer risk at the levels humans are currently exposed, environmental groups say Health Canada’s findings are based on outdated evidence from 2017. They also argue that at the current speed that Health Canada updates their science, it could be another 20 to 30 years before Canada updates the threats on each pesticide, meaning glyphosate may not be investigated again until 2030.
D) Environmental impact on bird and wildlife populations
Despite Health Canada’s approval, the Government of New Brunswick’s decision to continue using glyphosate-based herbicide in its Crown forestry management fails to properly address the harm that glyphosate does to the biological diversity of our Crown forests. This includes the harm done to our bird and wildlife populations, beneficial insects, soil creatures, aquatic species, and our forests’ ability to withstand and recover from fire events.
With New Brunswick having the highest rate of glyphosate use in forestry by land mass and its use of glyphosate on Crown land only expected to increase, the associated environmental dangers will only continue to intensify.
herbicide spraying at a glance IN 2024
in-depth look at herbicide spraying in 2024
Interactive map developed by StopSprayingNB
Standing Committee on Glyphosate Use In N.B.
The Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship heard from experts on the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in New Brunswick in June and September 2021. MLAs on the committee heard presentations from environmental groups, including the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, scientists, citizens groups, representatives from the agriculture and forestry sectors, and Steve Ginnish, director of forestry and natural resources with the Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn.