MAINE MONITOR • June 22, 2024
On June 10, the Columbia Falls-based Worcester Holdings notified nearby Addison residents the company would spray imidacloprid over 190 acres of its forest this summer to control balsam gall midge and woolly adelgid. Residents were alarmed about the threat to wildlife, humans and the environment. Many of the 11,000+ pesticides registered for use in Maine are potentially harmful. Despite Worcester Holdings’ record of violations, the company appears to be following protocol. So are five of the state’s leading conservation organizations. The Nature Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Friends of Acadia, Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust have licensed pesticide applicators on staff. “It would be irresponsible if we called ourselves conservation landowners to let invasive plants spread unchecked over the lands we’ve conserved because they greatly diminish ecological value,” said Amanda Devine, director of stewardship for MCHT.