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Victory! CCOF Advocates to Keep Santa Cruz County GE-Free!
 On June 20, 2006, Santa Cruz County Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a precautionary moratorium on growing genetically engineered crops in the county. The supervisors' action supports the recommendation of the GE Subcommittee of the Santa Cruz Public Health Commission, which spent more than 10 months researching and analyzing the health, environmental, economic and social risks associated with the growing of GE crops in the county.
"You can't have read the report and not think that we're playing with fire in a way that is potentially incredibly harmful," said Supervisor Ellen Pirie (Second District) at the public hearing.
CCOF Executive Director Peggy Miars attended the meetings and read the CCOF position which strongly supported the GE Moratorium for Santa Cruz County. CCOF also sent additional Action Alerts to our membership asking them to participate in the public meetings, and to call, email, and write the Board of Supervisors in support of the GE Moratorium. The Board received over 100 letters, e-mails, and phone calls in support of the GE Moratorium which makes it unlawful for any person to propagate, cultivate, raise, or grow any genetically engineered crop and declares that any act in violation of this prohibition constitutes a public nuisance that may result in fines and/or county jail time. The lack of opposition to the ordinance prompted Supervisor Mark Stone to remark that opposition to GE crops "appears not to be controversial in Santa Cruz."
The Santa Cruz action came just before the June 28 Assembly Agriculture Committee hearing of SB1056, a bill that would have prohibited California counties, towns and cities from passing any local regulation on seeds and nursery plants. The Santa Cruz Supervisors passed the local resolution and sent a letter to Sacramento strongly opposing SB 1056.
At the June 20 hearing, the Santa Cruz supervisors also moved to send their Subcommittee report and their ordinance to the state legislature and as well as every county in California, in order to encourage statewide action similar to their own. The Santa Cruz ordinance was read a second time at the August 1 meeting and took effect on August 31, 2006.
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