" The county public works, weed control, and the commisioners have been screwing it up and allowing the chemical companies and applicators (Carpetbaggers) come into the state and steal money.now the state is going to take the reins.No body talks about sucessful projects on Cocollalla and Kootenai county.Very small minded . "

" We're paying for the survey, why can't we see the results? Just another example of the power wielded by government over the people. Don't pay your taxes, and see how free you really are... "

" Herbicides work,use'em!!! "

" If the milfoil is such a threat and it spreads so easy, why in the world are milfoil beds not roped off so that they cannot be accessed by motorized boats?
"

" How does that go...
Only after the last fish is poisoned, only after the last water is contaminated... "

" For all of you who feel so safe, remember that the "tests" are done for full grown adult men, not children and not women of child bearing age. Several doctors in the area have advised pregnant women and children to stay out of the water around treatment times. I say that is good advice for all of us! "

" It seems that year after year they have to treat the same areas. So either the chemicals are not working or they are not following up with the proper follow up (native plant revegetation). It is becomming increasingly apparent that the chemicals do not even meet their own criteria of eradication in one season. I say, don't fund the herbicides or change the verbiage! It's certainly not working here! "

" As long as you don't depend on the production of Chlorophyll for your vital bodily functions, herbicides are of less concern than most pesticides. Too bad they aren't getting more to start the other methods, but this one works (at least partially). I'm also amused at the outrage at "wasting" $2 million dollars to keep the lakes usable, but not as much outrage at "wasting" about 75 times as much of our tax money on filling up Sand Creek for the bypass....... "

" Swimmers Itch is a common rash caused by parasites in the water. It occurs in area lakes periodically. Our family first experienced it in Priest Lake in the 1980's, well before any herbicide treatments.

Herbicides are far and away the most effective weapon against milfoil. Solid science should be our friend here, not emotional rhetoric. The lake needs to be saved from the growing monster of Milfoil. "

" Anybody want some with their whine? "

" Wouldn't the conservative stance be to NOT add chemicals to our lake without all of the information, including that being withheld by Idaho State Department of Agriculture? Wouldn't the conservative position be to act to protect our children and community first, and require proof that adding chemicals that the EPA requires ground water be test for, chemicals banned in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, be used as a last resort? Wouldn't Theodore Roosevelt style environmental conservatism require a higher threshold for this blanket chemical dumping in our lake? Shouldn't a government agency BE FORCED TO MAKE AVAILABLE it's studies, paid for by TAX PAYER DOLLARS? And if you are having to fight to get information out of that agency, how can you trust the limited information that is does make available to you? This sounds more like Democratic hope and a prayer style governance. Sad to see the votes falling the opposite of the party lines one would expect to see. "

" Good Job Todd. It's nice to see a commissioner actually thinking about an issue before casting a vote. Personally, I don't approve of using poison to solve the problem. Using it may solve the milfoil issue (doubtful), but it will surly create a dozen new problems. What poison will we then be forced to "accept" to solve the new problems created by the old "fix". "

" I won't let my kids swim in the lake anymore. I know five families whose kids all got rashes from swimming in the lake last year. I'm ready to take back the lake and I'm a little upset that some of the boaters who have contributed to this mess can still zip around the lake as if nothing is happening while swimmers like my family and others can't go in the lake without adverse skin reactions. What's the deal? "

" "Stronger" is a misleading word to describe the herbicide program; the chemistries are simply different. When used properly they are safe and effective.

Aggressive treatment now will greatly reduce the amount of chemicals needed over the long term. The longer we wait to address this problem the more herbicides will be eventually placed into the water.

We can all agree that minimizing chemicals in our pristine waters is most desireable. "

" Why isn't the silt being tested? They claim that it is too expensive. One has to wonder if it isn't that they do not want to know the results because as elected public officials they need to do no harm to the public and if they knew, hey they would not be able to continiue on this chemical merry go round which makes no one happy but the chemical companies and their stock holders. They only testing the water and it is done by the chemical applicators! Sort of like the fox guarding the hen house! Lots of evidence on line that the silt holds the herbicide residue for many years. Parents, watch your children closely at the beach, silt does not stay at the bottom of the lake, it gets stirred up and gets into the water. IF you are going to allow your children in the water, teach them to keep their mouths closed when swiming. And have them wear swim shoes. The skin readily absorbs toxins! Better yet, only let your children swim in the rivers and streams upstream from treatment. "

" If you article is correct, now they want to use even stronger herbicides, which would seem to me an admission that either the initial dose of herbicides didn't work, or, they care even less about public health now than they did one year ago, which was practically zero then.

The public should be outraged that the ISDA has withheld the survey results and continues to ram this policy choice down the throats of the citizens without disclosing all information. Since when did we become Red China? "

" I wonder what this chemical soup does to fish eggs and fry? The kokanee can't be too happy with this. When you start catching fish with sores and missing body parts, bring them into the county commissioners and drop them on their desks. Tell them you brought them some dinner. I'd like to know if I can deduct the cost of a Berky water filter from my taxes this year? "

" Good job, Commissioners Rich and Young! All the commissioners need to be accountable, regardless of their position on any given issue. "

" So here we are again, having been promised that that the herbicide treatements would only be for a year of two and then they would try the alternative, long term sustainabel solutions. It is becomming increasingly obvious that the ISDA intended to stick with a herbicide based treatement plan all only. Look at the track record of what they did and did not fund this year and last! The task force is a joke - both of the reprsentatives that represent the "public" and not some group are pro chemical. And two members are employees of the county weed department. Wake up Bonner County, we have been snowed again! "

" I just decided to vote to re-elect Crossett even though I am a card carrying Republican... How could the other two commissioners vote to approve this plan without waiting for the information? That's is a whole lot of taxpayer money being approved for a continued treatment plan with questionable results over the past few years. "

" I thought that the county was only going to do the chemical treatment thing for a year or two and then switch to alternative long term sustainable control methods. How many years has it been now? Did they ever intend to do that or was it just something to make us all feel as if we were being heard when they really were not listening - that's government for you! "

" So the ISDA will not fund biologicals, or long term sustaianble control methods such as native plant revegetation but they approved a controversial "mixing of chemical compounds" cocktail approach to treatment without any long term studies on effectiveness? Isn't that the same reason that they denied the funding of weevils last year? Seems to be a double standard here. As a taxpayer, I question this repeated application of herbicides with questionable results. And in those areas where it is successful, there is no attempt to replant native vegetation. So, all they are doing is clearing new fresh beds for the milfoil to take off in again. Seems as if they are creating a ready supply of new milfoil beds for the chemicals the following year. How many areas have now been treated and retreated ove the past four years? How much tax payer money has been wasted on this chemical merry go round that our county jumped on? "

" So glad to see that we have one commissioner, Crossett who has common sense to ask questions and wonder why the IDSA is withholding survey results. One has to ask why the other two are so quick to make a decision without what would seem much needed information. What's in it for them to quickly endorse another year of herbicide intensive treatment before the results are released? "