Mayor Seda's tenure has been a disaster for Jackson's environment
Jackson Mayor Mark Seda opted out of the state's gypsy moth spraying program (in 2007) and then was shocked when angry residents started calling his office to complain about their dying trees. Then, he directs township employees to fill in a sensitive wetlands area and is surprised when state Department of Environmental Protection halts the work and fines the township $15,000.

Mr. Seda claimed the state's gypsy moth spraying program was too costly to Jackson taxpayers (in 2007) and that his decision saved us $500,000.

He wasn't concerned about us when he hiked our taxes 32 percent, or when he tripled his own salary. His salary increase was more than the $15,000 fine. If he wants to show how much he cares for the Jackson taxpayer, he should pay the fine out of his own pocket.

Mr. Seda now refuses to apply to the state's aerial spraying program for 2008, asserting that the cost is too high and the benefits are too low.

The mayor's plan to stop the gypsy moths involves purchasing ground spraying equipment and applying a chemical pesticide to trees in Jackson.

The equipment is mounted on trucks and so can only reach trees that are 60 feet from a road. Who will do the actual spraying? Public works employees?

The mayor has spoken about spraying Dimilin, a chemical pesticide he asserts will be more effective against the gypsy moth than the Bt applied by the state program.

True, Dimilin does kill more gypsy moths than Bt. It also kills nearly every other invertebrate in its path, including beneficial insects like honeybees.

Dimilin may break down into a carcinogenic substance and it lasts on foliage for three months. Scientists also warn that using chemical pesticides unnecessarily may contribute to pesticide resistance.

The state of New Jersey has controlled gypsy moths effectively for years through aerial spraying of Bt, a naturally occurring bacteria. Jackson's gypsy moth problem is not a result of ineffective spraying or ineffective pesticides, it's a result of ineffective leadership by Mayor Seda.

Debbie Hadley

Jackson