Proposed Pesticide-Free Parks Plan
Findings and
Purpose
Because scientific research indicates that commonly used
pesticides can cause health problems including cancer, birth defects, organ
damage, and damage to the reproductive and nervous systems,
Because exposure for children can be particularly dangerous
to their growing bodies and developing nervous systems,
Because all citizens and inhabitants of our natural
environment have a right to protection from exposure to hazardous chemicals,
Because a balanced and healthy ecosystem is vital to the
health of our city and its citizens,
Because migration of pesticides into our city’s
watercourses, water bodies, and wetlands poses a severe threat to the health of
the environment,
Because the U.S Environmental Protection Agency has declared
that, “...all pesticides are toxic to some degree…, and the commonplace,
widespread use of pesticides is both a major environmental problem and a public
health issue,”
The City of Lawrence deems it necessary and reasonable to
pursue an alternative to the dependence on pesticides. The purpose of this
plan is to direct city staff:
- to eliminate pesticides in all parks and on all outdoor
grounds,
- to create a Least Toxic Integrated Pest Management
program,
- to encourage private property owners to maintain their
properties without the use of pesticides,
- and to involve the Lawrence community in the maintenance
of pesticide-free areas.
Definitions
Pesticide-
Any substance or mixture of substances that is assigned to
any Toxicity Category of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and that is
used for defoliating or dessicating plants, regulating plant growth, or for
preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Pesticides include,
but are not limited to, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, miticides,
avicides, nematicides, and rodenticides.
Least Toxic Integrated Pest
Management (IPM)-
An ecologically sound
approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, and physical
tools in a way that minimizes health and environmental risk. The basic
approach used in this IPM program includes the following:
- Selecting plants based on their hardiness; suitability to
native conditions; drought-, disease-, and pest-resistance; and ease of
maintenance
- Using outdoor management practices including scouting,
monitoring, watering, mowing, pruning, proper spacing, and mulching
- Keeping accurate records documenting any potential pest
problems
- Evaluating sites with regard to any injury caused by a
pest in question and determining which course of treatment to follow
- Using physical controls, including hand-weeding and
over-seeding
- Using biological controls, including the introduction of
natural predators, and enhancing the environment of a pest’s natural
enemies
- Determining the most effective treatment time based on
pest biology and other variables, such as weather and local conditions
- Eliminating pest habitats and conditions supportive of
pest population increases
- Choosing treatments that are the least damaging to the general
environment and that best preserve the natural ecosystem
- Choosing treatments that are the most likely to produce
long-term reductions in pest control requirements
- Choosing treatments that minimize negative impact to
non-target organisms
- Choosing treatments that are the least disruptive of the
natural controls available
- Choosing treatments that are the least hazardous to human
health
Timeline
City staff will follow this timeline and maintain parks and
other areas in this way:
·
Upon approval of the Pesticide-Free Parks Plan by the City
Commission, city staff will initiate a Pesticide-Free Parks Pilot Project for South
Park and Watson Park. At the same time Downtown flowerbeds along Massachusetts
Street will begin transition into an Adopt-a-Flowerbed program. Both parks
and the Downtown will be maintained without pesticides at the earliest possible
date. The goal is to accomplish the transition to pesticide-free maintenance
for South Park, Watson Park, and the Downtown during 2005 and no later than January 1, 2008. The two parks and the Downtown will be designated as Pesticide-Free Areas
with appropriate signage.
·
The pilot project will follow Least Toxic Integrated Pest
Management Practices. The following goals are established for the period of this
pilot project.
Year 1:
A. No EPA
Toxicity Category 1 or Toxicity Category 2 pesticides will be used in parks or
other outdoor areas under the care of city staff.
B. City staff
will follow notification procedures when pesticides are used.
C. City staff
will begin to develop a pesticide-free maintenance plan for Watson Park, South Park,
and the Downtown Area.
D. City staff
will provide training for staff in pesticide-free maintenance of turf and
landscapes.
E. Money
will be allocated for pesticide-free maintenance equipment. City staff will
consult with other municipalities and experts in pesticide-free maintenance
about equipment needs. The Waipuna Hot Water Weeder will receive priority for
investigation. City staff will provide training for staff in proper use of pesticide-free
maintenance equipment.
F. City
staff will provide training for staff in Integrated Pest Management.
G. A public
awareness campaign will be an integral part of the pilot project. Pilot
project sites will be clearly identified with appropriate signage. Signage should
be highly visible and include appropriate reference to website information
about the pilot project and pesticide-free management practices. The Parks and
Recreation Department will coordinate with appropriate city entities such as the
Recycling and Resource Conservation Board to develop educational resources which
encourage Lawrence citizens to explore the benefits of pesticide-free lawn
maintenance for their own properties. As early as possible written materials
will be widely available within the pilot project parks and in recreation
facilities, the Lawrence Public Library reference department, and other appropriate
locations.
H. An
Adopt-a-Flowerbed program will be developed to promote community involvement
and to relieve demands on city staff.
Year 2 and 3:
A. Work from
Year 1 will continue.
B. City staff
will work to transfer pesticide-free management practices to the rest of the
parks system and all other outdoor areas under the care of the city.
·
If earlier implementation of any step becomes feasible, staff
will pursue the more aggressive timetable.
·
All parks and outdoor property under the care of city staff will
be maintained without pesticides at the earliest date possible but no later
than January 1, 2008. All areas will be designated as Pesticide-Free Areas with
appropriate signage.
·
Because community outreach is an important component of the
Pesticide-Free Parks Pilot Project, city staff will share information and
coordinate programs with USD 497, Douglas County, Haskell Indian Nations University,
and the University of Kansas upon request to the extent possible.
·
City staff will designate a person or persons to coordinate the
transition.
·
City staff will provide monthly reports to the City Commission regarding
goals and progress.
Training
City staff will develop training in IPM to provide to all
staff and contractors involved in maintenance and care of outdoor property for
the City of Lawrence.
City staff will accomplish this by inviting speakers and
arranging for other educational opportunities to assist staff in implementing
the IPM Program. Departments will educate staff about departmental policies
and procedures relevant to the IPM Program and keep staff current with best
management practices and technologies that utilize Least Toxic Integrated Pest
Management. Managers and supervisors will participate in the training and
fully support involvement of their staff and their contractors in the training.
Training should include:
Philosophy and goals of Least Toxic Integrated
Pest Management
Proper use of the Waipuna Hot Water
Weeder and other pesticide-free maintenance equipment
Least toxic turf maintenance
Least toxic landscape maintenance
Least toxic tree maintenance
Least toxic insect control
Least toxic water body maintenance
Least toxic noxious weed control
Other training relevant to outdoor
pesticide-free maintenance
Notification
A fundamental goal of a Pesticide-Free Parks Plan is to
safeguard the health and wellness of our community. Therefore, it is of the utmost
importance that when pesticides are used by city staff and city contractors,
the city will notify the public by posting signs around the treated area. The
following notification procedures will be used:
- Signs will be posted at least one week before application
of the pesticide product and remain posted at least one week after
application of the pesticide.
- Signs will be posted at every entry point where the
pesticide is applied if the pesticide is applied in an enclosed area. If
the pesticide is applied in an open area, signs will be posted in highly
visible locations around the perimeter of the treated area.
- For high-use recreational areas such as on or near picnic
areas and playgrounds, signs will be posted at a minimum interval of every
50’.
·
For linear
applications in parks or other recreational areas such as along sidewalks and
paths, signs will be posted at the ends of the treated area and at trail
intersections or other key crossings at a minimum of every 200’.
·
For roadways or fence
lines with low pedestrian traffic, signs will be posted at block or median ends
and at pedestrian crossings at a minimum of one sign per 500’.
- Signs will be of standardized design that is easily
recognizable to the public and workers. (See Addendum A)
- Signs will be sturdy and able to sustain exposure to sun,
wind, and rain.
- Signs will contain the name and active ingredient of the
pesticide product, the target pest, the date of pesticide use, the signal
word indicating the toxicity category of the pesticide product, and the name
and contact number for the city department. (See Addendum B)
- Posting for pesticide use at the Eagle Bend Golf Course
will consist of signs placed at the first and tenth tee and in the Pro
Shop.
- Pesticide-Free Areas will require a fourteen-day advance
posting in the event an exemption is approved by the City Commission and
will remain in place fourteen days after the application.
- City staff may obtain authorization from the City
Commission to apply a pesticide without providing advance notification in
the event of a public health emergency.
- City staff is responsible for making pesticide use
information available to staff and the public upon request. A list of all
materials applied on a site-specific basis will be maintained and be
available at the Parks and Recreation Department’s Main Office.
Record Keeping
In order to facilitate the public education component of the
Pesticide-Free Parks Plan and to help the City Commission determine the
effectiveness, costs, and health risks of the program, city staff will keep an
accurate record of all pest management activities. The record will include the
following information:
- The target pest
- The type and quantity of product used
- The specific location of the product application
- The date the product was used
- The name of the product applicator
- The application equipment used
- Prevention and other non-chemical methods of control used
- Experimental efforts
- Exemptions granted for the application
- The kind of application—cultural, biological, or chemical
- Whether or not the product is registered as a pesticide
with the EPA
- The EPA Toxicity Category of the product
- Weather conditions at time of application
City staff will make the pest management record readily
available to the public and to interested institutions upon request. City
staff will evaluate the pest management program, and if appropriate, include it
in program management software being used or considered for other city
departments.
Note: In the case of unforeseen circumstances such as a public
health emergency or other unusual event that challenges the capacity of the pesticide-free
maintenance program, city staff may ask the City Commission for direction.
Exemptions will not be given for any EPA Toxicity Category 1 pesticides.
Addendums
Addendum A - Pesticide Application Signage Standard.......................................................... 8
Addendum B - Pesticide Application Sign.............................................................................. 9
Addendum A - Pesticide
Application Signage Standard
Size: 8 ½” by 11”
Paper: Brightly colored card
stock either golden rod or yellow
Text Color: Black
Header Text: “HAZARD
PESTICIDE APPLICATION”
All capital
letters, bold, and a minimum 1/2” high with biohazard logo.
“This Landscape Has Been Treated
With A Pesticide By The City Of Lawrence [Department Name]”
Title case letters and a
minimum of ¼” high text.
Other Information: Product name /TYPE: (In addition to the product name, note if
the product is a
herbicide, insecticide, fungicide etc.)
Active
Ingredients:
Toxicity
Category: (EPA Signal Word –
DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION)
Date
applied:
Applied
to: (Turf, beds, spot spray tree wells, etc.)
FOR
MORE INFORMATION PLEASE call [Department name] (include applicator or
contact name and phone number)
Include the City of Lawrence logo.
These titles are to be a minimum
¼” high, all capital letters.
HAZARD