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This is not just regulatory failure — it is systemic corruption hiding in plain sight.
By George Jacobsen – June 2025
Ryan Hilburn is the Chief Forester at W.M. Beaty & Associates and a state-appointed member of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, the agency responsible for writing and enforcing the rules that govern vegetation treatment, herbicide use, and wildfire recovery across California.
As Chief Forester, Hilburn has overseen the large-scale aerial spraying of toxic herbicides and the deployment of strychnine rodenticides across thousands of acres of private industrial timber lands in Lassen and Plumas County. Meanwhile, from his position on the state board, he helps shape the very policies that allow these operations to proceed with minimal oversight.
This is a blaring conflict of interest — a textbook example of regulatory capture.
From his public seat, Hilburn can influence policy, delay reform, weaken oversight, and help create loopholes that benefit W.M. Beaty — the private timber company that employs him. He plays a direct role in approving exemptions, shaping CEQA interpretations, and advancing programs that funnel public money and legal cover to his own employer.
He is not protecting forests. He is not protecting the public. Ryan Hilburn is protecting the forestry industry’s ability to pollute, poison, and profit — without accountability.
One man. Two roles. Total conflict. And the price is being paid by the land, the wildlife, the water — and every community downstream.
Thousands of acres of steep, erosion-prone terrain in the Diamond Mountains were sprayed by helicopter with a toxic cocktail of industrial herbicides, including glyphosate, triclopyr, hexazinone, indaziflam, oxyfluorfen, penoxsulam, imazapyr, 2,4-D, aminocyclopyrachlor, clopyralid, and more.
These are not backyard weedkillers. They are industrial biocides — many banned or restricted around the world. They kill native vegetation, poison soil, contaminate water, and persist in the environment long after application.
Among the most notorious is 2,4-D, one of the active ingredients in the Vietnam War era chemical weapon Agent Orange. It is linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive harm in both wildlife and humans. Yet this chemical was sprayed by helicopter — across mountain slopes, near creeks, springs, livestock zones, and grazing land — with no environmental testing, no public oversight, and no notification to nearby landowners. Over thousands of acres in Lassen County.
W.M. Beaty didn’t stop at herbicides.
Under the direction of Ryan Hilburn, the company also used strychnine-laced grain bait to kill rodents on its timberlands. While this targets burrowing animals like gophers and ground squirrels, it creates a lethal chain reaction.
Wildlife that feed on poisoned carcasses — including eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, skunks, fishers, martens, and even black bears — are all at risk of secondary poisoning.
Strychnine is banned in many countries for this reason. It is highly toxic, fast-acting, and has no antidote. Its use in mountain forests represents a direct threat to predator populations and ecosystem stability.
California’s forests, creeks, wildlife, and rural communities deserve better than this.
The Illusion of Stewardship
Image of chipmunk sourced from the official W.M. Beaty & Associates website (wmbeaty.com), used here under Fair Use for purposes of public commentary and criticism.
On its website, W.M. Beaty & Associates showcases an image of a chipmunk beside words like “forest stewardship” and “our philosophy” — projecting an image of care, balance, and respect for nature.
But this isn’t stewardship. It’s branding.
Ryan Hilburn, the Chief Forester for W.M. Beaty & Associates, oversees the very operations that contradict this image — including large-scale aerial herbicide spraying and the use of strychnine poison across timberlands. These actions directly threaten wildlife, pollute ecosystems, and endanger the very species the company uses in its marketing.
This is not accidental. It is a calculated public image — one designed to soften scrutiny, shield industry practices, and distract from the ecological harm occurring behind the scenes.
The photo says preservation.
The actions say destruction.
Image of owl sourced from the official W.M. Beaty & Associates website (wmbeaty.com), used here under Fair Use for purposes of public commentary and criticism.
The Aquatic Conservation Lie
W.M. Beaty & Associates claims that managing and conserving aquatic resources is “vital to sustainable forestry.” But on the ground, their actions directly contradict this promise.
Roughly 10 months after one of their aerial herbicide spray operations, a privately owned spring-fed pond — located downhill and completely unrelated to the CAL FIRE-funded project — experienced a total ecological collapse. Following snowmelt runoff, lab tests confirmed the presence of Hexazinone, a mobile, soil-active herbicide used in the operation above. No erosion controls, sediment barriers, or buffer protections were ever established. As the runoff flowed, it carried herbicide residue directly into the pond.
The consequences were severe: amphibian life vanished, algae blooms took over, and chemical residue lined the pond’s inlet paths. A vibrant aquatic habitat was silenced. The company that markets itself as a steward of water and wildlife instead left destruction — unmonitored, and unreported.
Official Restricted Materials Permit Reveals Toxic Chemicals Approved for Use Across Lassen County Forest Lands
Document:
RESTRICTED MATERIALS PERMIT – 18-24-4500033 (2024–2026)
Released via Public Records Act request by ProtectLassen.org
Source: Lassen County Agricultural Commissioner
This official permit, obtained through a California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, confirms that the following restricted-use chemicals were approved for use by private timber operators across large areas of Lassen County between 2024 and 2026:
Chemicals Approved in the Permit
- Glyphosate (Product #361)
- Triclopyr (Product #398)
- Hexazinone (Product #581)
- Oxyfluorfen (Product #515)
- Penoxsulam (Product #739)
- Indaziflam (Product #725)
- Strychnine (Product #554) – a federally regulated rodent poison known for its extreme toxicity
This permit authorizes thousands of acres of chemical applications, including aerial spraying, with no documented oversight of soil, water, or ecological impact. Protect Lassen is currently investigating how these chemicals were applied and whether all safety, environmental, and legal requirements were followed.
Full document available below for public review.
Ryan Hilburn, Chief Forester of W.M. Beaty & Associates and sitting member of California’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection — the same board that helps write the policies allowing his company to spray herbicides, log private lands, and receive public wildfire recovery funds. Photo sourced from the official Board of Forestry website: https://calfire-umb05.azurewebsites.net/about/member-biographies/
Hold Ryan Hilburn Accountable
Ryan Hilburn is not unaware. As Chief Forester for W.M. Beaty & Associates and a sitting member of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, he knows exactly what he is doing — and he must be held accountable.
He has built his career and livelihood on this system. He profits directly from the widespread aerial spraying of toxic herbicides across Lassen County, including chemicals like 2,4-D — a compound linked to cancer and banned in many countries. He also oversees the use of strychnine poison bait on timberlands, despite its severe ecological risks and international restrictions.
From his public role, he helps write the very CAL FIRE policies that permit these actions.
From his private role, he benefits from them.
This is not carelessness. It is deliberate, coordinated, and repeated. And it is happening under the cover of green branding and bureaucratic silence.
Tell Ryan Hilburn we see through it.
Email him directly:
ryan.hilburn@bof.ca.gov
Demand answers. Demand transparency. Demand accountability.