By Geoff Shackelford Santa Monica
On July 14, I received an e-mail from Judy Rambeau, assistant to the City Manager, who was responding to an inquiry about the questionable circumstances surrounding ground squirrel poisoning in Palisades Park. Ms. Rambeau wrote that the California Department of Fish and Game “sent out an inspector who reviewed our control procedures and stated that we were doing a good job of targeting the rodents with no visible dead or dying rodents or non-target animals.” In a follow-up, I asked the name of this inspector. Ms. Rambeau replied that it was Mary Cummins, who is not with California Fish and Game, but instead is a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator who actually submitted a humane squirrel control plan for Palisades Park. Ms. Cummins wrote the Daily Press on Aug. 5, reporting that the city has never responded to her plan, which animal advocates offered to pay for. Ms. Cummins also pointed out that the plague problem has not been solved by the poisoning of squirrels, as the fleas that harbor the disease are still alive and must find a new host, increasing the chances of harm to park users and pets.
In the same July 14 e-mail I received — and which Ms. Rambeau copied to the entire City Council — she said the city of Santa Monica was in contact with the Deputy Agricultural Commissioner and Inspectors and stated, “We are in compliance.” I asked for a contact at this county agency, who it turns out, had made his first visit to the park on June 27 and ordered the city and their pest control contractor to cease and desist for failing to follow the product label on a pesticide, which is a violation of federal law. The city and contractor were also asked to remove poison from the bait stations while the Deputy Agricultural Commissioner began an investigation into the contractor for violating their license by using an illegal application of an illegal rodenticide for open space use. The product label on the pesticide used in the park clearly states that the substance is not to be used in reach of children, companion animals or wildlife. Unfortunately, these labels containing the “in case of accidental poisoning” phone numbers were placed on the inside of the bait stations, where only the ground squirrels could read them.
The issue here remains something much more significant than simple cruelty to squirrels. The County of Los Angeles (www.lapublichealth.org/eh/progs/consumer/vectman/vcdocs/plgfacts.pdf) not only recommends a more humane approach that actually kills the fleas, but also demands that the public be warned of a potential plague issue. City officials have been less than forthcoming about the means in which they approached this problem and about the legality of their methodology.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.