Georgia seeks to revoke license of company for pesticide misuse

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will be seeking to revoke the structural pest control license of Biotech Systems of Georgia (Biotech) due to the misapplications of pesticides. Biotech is a Pelham, Alabama, company that treats nursing homes and other healthcare facilities in Georgia and several other states.

The Agriculture Department is alerting 154 facilities serviced by Biotech about possible pesticide misapplications. The Department has also notified the Environmental Protection Agency, the Georgia Department of Human Resources and appropriate regulatory agencies in other states.

The action follows an investigation that began last month. During a routine inspection on May 5, 2009, the Department of Agriculture found information that indicated pesticides were misapplied by Biotech at two Georgia nursing homes.

The Georgia Agriculture Department asked for records from Biotech and received an incomplete set of pesticide use records from the company on May 20. On June 9, at the request of the Agriculture Department, the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission (GSPCC) ordered Biotech to produce a complete set of pesticide use records and have the records delivered to the Department by June 17. (GSPCC has authority under the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act to compel the production of documents.)

Records furnished by Biotech indicate that pesticides were misapplied to numerous facilities.

Some of the pesticide application records delivered to the Georgia Agriculture Department by Biotech on June 17 are different from the records obtained on May 20. “This concerns us greatly. At least some of the records appear to conflict with the records we obtained earlier and are therefore possibly suspect,” said Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture Terry Coleman.

Of greatest concern are the misapplications of the pesticides Termidor and ZP Tracking Powder. The Georgia Agriculture Department tested eight nursing homes and found Termidor present in all eight. It appears that Termidor, an insecticide labeled for use outdoors, was used indoors, and ZP Tracking Powder, a rodenticide, was improperly used in a food storage area. The Department is sending clean-up recommendations to the facilities as provided by the manufacturers of these pesticides.

“We have also notified the Georgia Health Care Association. Its staff is working to make sure safety concerns are addressed,” said Deputy Commissioner Coleman.

“We will seek to revoke the license of Biotech Systems of Georgia because the company appears to have disregarded rules governing pesticide application on numerous occasions. These rules are not arbitrary but are based on the effective use of these pesticides and, what is more important, on concerns of safety for people and the environment,” said Coleman.

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Calling All Gobblers, Statewide Turkey Hunting Season Opens Mar. 21

Turkey hunters across the state are dusting off their calls in preparation for the upcoming turkey season. Opening day is Sat., Mar. 21 and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division anticipates another enjoyable season.

The 2009 season should be respectable, and harvest levels should be similar in comparison with past years’ harvests.

Last year’s reproduction data suggests that turkey production was good in many parts of Georgia in 2008,” explains Kevin Lowrey, Wildlife Resources Division wild turkey project coordinator. “In fact, last year’s hatch was the best since 2002.”

“However, reproduction rates in four of the last five years have been poor and we have seen a decline in the overall turkey population,” continues Lowrey. “While it likely will take some time for the population to rebound, last year’s increase in reproduction is a positive reminder that when habitat conditions are right and weather is favorable, the turkey population is quick to respond.”

Statistics from the 2008 season harvest summary indicate that an estimated 49,237 resident Georgia hunters bagged 24,297 turkeys last year. The bird to hunter ratio (harvest rate) for 2008 was .49 birds per hunter – the same as in 2007.

According to Lowrey, Georgia’s current turkey population is estimated at 300,000 birds.

Georgia turkey hunters are privileged with one of the longest turkey seasons nationwide. With a bag limit of three gobblers per season, hunters have from Mar. 21 through May 15 to harvest their bird(s).

Because most hunters pursue wild turkeys on private lands, the Wildlife Resources Division reminds hunters to always obtain landowner permission before hunting.

WMA Hunting Opportunities

Georgia’s Wildlife Management Areas offer excellent turkey hunting opportunities. Through the WMA system, resident hunters have access to nearly one million acres of prime hunting land for just $19 a year.

Success rates and total harvest numbers from 2008 may help indicate which WMAs hunters should target this year.

In the northwest, Pine Log WMA and Berry College WMA reported the highest harvest rates. In the northeast, Warwoman WMA and Swallow Creek WMA had the highest success rates. In west central Georgia, hunters should try Blanton Creek WMA and Rum Creek WMA. In east central Georgia, Di-Lane Plantation WMA and Yuchi WMA reported high harvest rates. In the southeast, hunters should visit Dixon Memorial WMA and Griffin Ridge WMA.

A special WMA license is required for any person 16 years or older who does not possess a valid honorary, sportsman or lifetime license when hunting wild turkey on a WMA, Public Fishing Area or State Park. In addition, both a valid hunting license and a big game license are required to legally hunt wild turkey. Wild turkey legally can be hunted with shotguns, loaded with No. 2 or smaller shot, any muzzleloading firearm, longbow, crossbow or compound bow.

Conservation of the Wild Turkey in Georgia

The comeback of the wild turkey is one of Georgia’s great conservation success stories. Although the bird population currently hovers around 300,000 statewide, as recently as 1973, the wild turkey population was as low as 17,000. Intensive restoration efforts, such as the restocking of wild birds and increased emphasis on biologically sound hunting seasons, have helped re-establish turkeys in suitable habitat in every county. This resurgence is due to the efforts of private landowners, hunters and conservation organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The Georgia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has donated more than $3 million since 1985 on projects that benefit wild turkey and other wildlife. The NWTF works cooperatively in partnership with the Wildlife Resources Division and other land management agencies to put such projects on the ground. There currently are 112 state chapters of the NWTF with membership totals of more than 18,000.

For more information regarding wild turkey hunting opportunities, WMA hunting opportunities, 2009 wild turkey hunting seasons, regulations or license requirements in Georgia, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

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