Stop Frankentrees From Invading Southern Forests

A silent threat is facing the forests of the American South. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering allowing genetically modified eucalyptus trees for commercial planting in the forests of Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Help prevent these Frankentrees from taking over -- protect the heritage and the future of our forests.

Genetically modified, cold-tolerant eucalyptus plantations would create “green deserts” because these foreign-adapted trees don’t support our native plants and animals. In fact, eucalyptus trees are harmful to native wildlife -- and they’ve already become invasive in California and Florida.

Eucalyptus trees suck up more water than the forests that evolved here, which threatens creeks and rivers and the endangered freshwater species that live in them. Eucalyptus also produce a sticky gum that can asphyxiate songbirds and glue their beaks shut. Naturally toxic, the species hurts beneficial insects that birds depend on for food. Adding insult to injury, eucalyptus trees are explosively flammable and known to increase the risk of forest fires. Converting native forests into eucalyptus plantations for pulp and biofuel will worsen drought and speed climate change.

Please take action now and tell the feds to ban genetically engineered trees and reject the request to deregulate genetically modified eucalyptus.

Take action here: http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY...