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(the links to these articles are listed first and comments are listed below the links)

 

https://impakter.com/the-problems-with-christmas-trees/

 

Short article.  Succinctly states Christmas tree production requires fuel and dangerous chemicals.   It also says they store carbon, while growing, and in the soil.

There is no consideration for the land that is destroyed to plant Christmas trees, which also stores carbon, provides habitat, and buffering for streams.

 

No mention of communities.

 

Further, most support of trees comes from the Christmas tree Association

 

 

https://www.beyondpesticides.org/programs/center-for-community-pesticide-and-alternatives-information/pesticide-free-holidays/christmas

 

This article and website align well with Preserve Grayson’s purpose.  It has a vast amount of resources and speaks to environmental justice, laborers, as well as sustainable practices.

 

This article does not totally disregard the desire for a Christmas tree, but it clearly asserts that 99% of Christmas trees grown are not grown sustainably.

 

https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/watershed/bio_fish/Pages/Bio_Fish.aspx

 

A good article about benthic Macroinvertebrates and water monitoring

 

https://waterquality.montana.edu/resources/homeownerwateruse/pesticides/index.html

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An excellent article from Montana State University.   It talks about the health effects of pesticides in well water and some of the difficulties in testing for those pesticides.    It suggests a call to action to the homeowner to test their well water if they live close to an agricultural operations and to enlist their County Extension agent in determining what pesticides are being used and the best water filtering system (if one is needed).

 

https://dgs.virginia.gov/division-of-consolidated-laboratory-services/lab-testing/environmental/

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We list this page under general resources.

 

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/20/2017/03/EPA-Well-Test-List.pdf

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This is a general list of possible correlation of symptoms/conditions and what to test for.   For example, beside “Nearby areas of intensive agriculture,” it states to test for “nitrates, pesticides, and coliform bacteria.

 

https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/documents/cropprofiles/VAchristmastrees.pdf

 

Long article about everything one would want to know about growing Christmas trees.  One thing about this article is it mentions an herbicide that is not in common use, but is an active ingredient in tricloper…(Element 3), which the industrial Christmas tree plantations use.  This article surely speaks to this idea that we don’t know what is being sprayed and whether or not it is a common or banned substance.  Disadvantage of this article is that is from 2010, before the advent of helicopter spraying in Grayson County.   We believe it is hard, if not impossible to control the drift of spray from a helicopter in the prevalent winds of mountain communities.

 

Further, this article is written by an extension agent and other “experts.”

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https://medium.com/center-for-biological-diversity/are-christmas-trees-sprayed-with-pesticides-67d832f8556d

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Yes!  Christmas trees are sprayed with pesticides and yes, it is environmental contamination.   It answers the age old question for the average consumer, “Is my Christmas tree sprayed with pesticides?”  Yes, yes, yes.   And, although this article states clearly the environmental harms to endangered salmon species, it misses an opportunity to talk about the communities in which these trees are grown.  Think about a helicopter dumping chemicals near your home in the prevalent winds of the mountains.

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https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/01/05/game-over-for-the-mountain-valley-pipeline/

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Another assault on our natural resources.  Part of this pipeline proposes to go through the Jefferson National Forest.    To us, this article feels like grassroots efforts matter.

 

https://interfaithcreationcare.org

 

This website is for faith communities to explore ways to include Creation Care in their congregational activities.  We are not alone in our desire to care for the planet as we all live together on One Earth.

 

https://earth.org/real-vs-fake-christmas-tree-environmental-impact/

 

(Read the whole thing!)

 

https://repository.uchastings.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3939&context=hastings_law_journal

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“All I Want for Christmas is a carbon sink.”    2019.  This article is written by a law student in 2021, in the Hastings Law Journal.  It eloquently introduces the idea of growing Christmas trees sustainably and debunks the notion that conventionally grown trees are good for the environment.  It explains in more detail the life of a Christmas tree and how their production contributes to climate change.

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https://medium.com/the-environmental-reporter/o-christmas-tree-toxic-christmas-tree-a17e0fabbb5

 

Very direct.   Honest, thorough.   

 

https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2016/05/soil-carbon-unstable-clear-cutting/

 

This article is talks about carbon and how it is stored, not only in trees and plants, but also in the soil, and how clear cutting forests decreases the amount of carbon stored and releases it into the atmosphere, further contributing to climate change.

 

https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring

 

Izaak Walton League of America

A wealth of information on Stream Monitoring, healthy streams, clean water hub, etc.

 

https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticide-virginia-pesticide-laws-and-regulations.shtml

VDACS (Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services)   

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https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/docs/pdriftpatient.pdf