LETTER: A Poison Free Malibu

Dear Editor and Neighbors,

Ralphs is the fourth local store to understand and act in support of preserving our natural environment by removing their recently introduced rodenticide product. Thank you Ralph's management for your quick understanding of this critical situation that is killing our wildlife.

Also thank you Malibu Patch readers for all your great comments of support concerning this most important issue of rodenticide poisons in our precious environment. We live in a special area surrounded by National and State Parks as well as other preserved nature areas that are filled with wildlife. We the Malibu Agricultural Society have been working toward a Poison Free Malibu.

Towards this end we have done research and found that many California local jurisdictions, including San Francisco, Berkeley, the City of Los Angeles, and Ventura County, among others, have taken action to limit rodenticides both by their own use and educational campaigns to remove them from commercial availability. We sent a request to meet with the Mayor on January 18 to discuss what Malibu could do. Despite repeated assurance, we are still waiting for a date to be determined.

In response to comments in the Patch, the best poison free no-kill trap I have found is the Havahart live trap that Malibu Hardware sells. I have used mine for over 20 years and it still keeps trapping them. It has an easy side lever to release the animal back to nature outside where it will continue the chain of life. My cat would prefer I get rid of this trap! She cannot be beat for gopher control though.

Let us all help to prevent this imminent modern day Silent Spring. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has," said Margret Mead.

Thank you Malibu for your support,

Sincerely,

Kian Schulman
Secretary, The Malibu Agricultural Society
www.malibuags.com

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