To the Editor,
Re: No time to wait when it comes to broom, Letters, May 29, 2024
I'm not sure where Joanne Sales gets her info from, but I Googled "is broom bad for bees" and found out that it is not bad for bees and in fact is good for bees. You can even get Scotch broom honey.
Yes, Scotch broom can be a fire hazard but I don't believe it causes forest companies to lose millions. If you give it a chance to grow it will take over, but evergreens will shade it out eventually. Drive two kilometres past Cameron Shops near Bamfield Road and you will see the proof.
I stand by what I said about planting to shade out broom, and it does give shelter to small animals. If you have planted anywhere you have done your broombusting then broom won't come back, if you haven't then it will. As you said, seeds survive up to 70 years.
Chris Forbes,
Port Alberni
(Editor's note: Joanne Sales has been the executive director of Broombusters Invasive Plant Society for 18 years. Her work has been recognized by the Union of B.C. Municipalities, which last fall passed a resolution calling for a province-wide control of Scotch broom.)
