Book's legacy a boon to birds.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

Next time you see a bald eagle perched above the Willamette River, or catch sight of the peregrine falcons that have taken up residence on Portland's bridges, or watch brown pelicans skimming the waves off the Oregon Coast, a brief word of thanks to Rachel Carson might be in order.

Rachel Carson - a marine biologist and skilled nature writer - took on the powerful chemical industry in her 1963 book "Silent Spring" to document how the insecticide DDT had laid waste to the nation's birds. The book's publication led to regulatory changes for pesticides and helped usher in an era of environmental awareness.

Today is Carson's 100th birthday, and although she died just a year after her book was published, her legacy can still be felt in Oregon, where several endangered birds have made comebacks, and where pesticide reporting laws are helping the state better understand the impact of the herbicides and insecticides so many of us use.

DDT came into widespread use in the 1940s when the U.S. military used it to clear mosquito-infested Pacific islands during World War II. In Europe it was commonly used as a powdered delousing agent. As useful as it was, DDT had unintended effects, accumulating in the food chain to kill fish and birds.

Carson's book about its effects - rigorously researched and vetted by other scientists - came in for scathing criticism from the chemical industry. But a government-appointed panel confirmed her results, and Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Three birds common in Oregon have made dramatic comebacks in the intervening years: bald eagles, brown pelicans and peregrine falcons, said Nanette Seto, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

"They were hit really hard," Seto said. The birds produced fragile eggshells because of the DDT that had accumulated in their bodies. The adults often crushed the eggs they were trying to incubate.

For a period of time, peregrine falcons disappeared entirely from the Oregon landscape, while eagles and pelicans were rarely seen. But DDT was banned for use in the United States in 1972 and, thanks to intense conservation efforts, the birds have made comebacks.

The falcons were taken off the endangered species list several years ago, Seto said. Bald eagles will come off the list this year and the brown pelican is being considered for delisting, she said.

Carson's book influenced a generation, said Dick Lamster, a retired chief of natural resources for the Army Corps of Engineers in Oregon and an avid birder.

"She really became a hero of mine, personally," he said. Because he had read "Silent Spring," Lamster asked for and got permission to manage the lands around Oregon's 13 reservoirs without herbicides.

`Our lawns were fine. They weren't golf courses, but when we asked visitors, `Do you mind the dandelions?' They said, `Heck no. We came here to water ski.' '

In Oregon, pesticide use continues to be part of an ongoing public debate. The agriculture and forestry industries rely on a suite of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides to maintain their productivity.

Homeowners wanting a perfect expanse of green lawn use herbicides to kill weeds. Backyard vegetable gardeners set out poisons for slugs and other leaf munchers.

Both urban and rural waterways, when tested regularly, show pesticide contaminants, said Aimee Code, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides.

On the other hand, more people are turning to organic produce, and gardening stores have begun offering many alternatives to the chemicals for weeding and fertilizing, Code said.

Oregon is also one of the few places in the country that has a review process for people who think they've been exposed to pesticides, through the Pesticide Analytical Response Center. And Oregon Health & Science University has ongoing research projects on the health effects of pesticides, Code said.

In January the state Department of Agriculture began tracking pesticides, requiring those who use the products commercially or in public areas to report what and how much they're using. The program also surveys homeowners, asking them to report the products they apply.

Gathering such information will help researchers better understand what's going into Oregon's land and waterways, a key to protecting the environment, said Sunny Jones, a Pesticide Use Reporting System specialist.

Meanwhile, many cities, such as Eugene, are managing their parks and open spaces without pesticides, Code said.

"Maybe it's being an eternal optimist, but I see more people seeking out alternatives to pesticides," Code said. "People want their grandchildren to live in a healthy place."

Carson is not universally acclaimed. The Associated Press reported last week that a Senate effort to honor her was blocked by Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn, who said that Carson used junk science to turn the public against life-saving chemicals that can prevent the spread of insect-borne diseases.

But Lamster said Carson's message wasn't that simplistic.

"She spurred the industry, not to eliminate pesticides but to make them smarter, to look at the potency, how long they last in the soil, how they should be applied. Because of her some of these young chemists said, `I'm going to make them better.' '

READING CARSON

"Silent Spring": Rachel Carson's best-known work is still in print.

"Courage for the Earth: Writers, Scientists, and Activists Celebrate the Life and Writing of Rachel Carson": Includes essays from former