PESTICIDE FREE PARKS - Opportunity in Ashland
Tom Dimitre, Rogue Group Sierra Club, 23.05.2010 13:29
The Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission will hear comments and is scheduled to make a decision regarding the current draft of their Integrated Pesticide Management (IPM) policy.
WHEN: MONDAY - MAY 24 -- 7:00 pm
WHERE: City Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main St., Ashland
Please make every effort to attend and speak.
The Ashland Parks and Recreation Department's draft policy will not lead us to pesticide free parks. The draft policy will continue the current practice of spraying our parks, playgrounds, schools (Parks Dept. is contracted by schools to spray) and public areas. There simply is no
language that bans or requires the reduction of pesticide use.
Support Pesticide Ban
The draft policy can be greatly enhanced if the Parks Commission takes these easy, reasonable steps:
* MANDATE PESTICIDE FREE PARKS BY 2013 OR SOONER
The current draft does not require the Parks to become Pesticide Free - ever!!! We strongly urge the Parks Commission to adopt a policy that will phase out pesticides over the next three years, with a minimum 30% reduction per year. Spraying would only be allowed in emergency circumstances and only the least toxic pesticides would be sprayed.
* REQUIRE 50 FOOT BUFFERS ALONG STREAMS, PLAYGROUNDS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS
The current policy only requires 25 foot buffers - and does not require any buffers along streams at the Oak Knoll Golf Course. We urge the Parks Commission to adopt a policy that requires 50 feet buffers along streams and around playgrounds and community gardens, with no exceptions.
* NOTICE OF SPRAYING
The current draft requires 24 hour notice prior to spraying in only limited circumstances. We believe that all areas to be sprayed must be posted a minimum of 48 hours in advance - and most importantly - 48 hours AFTER spraying.
* INDEPENDENT CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Many cities in the Pacific Northwest have Citizen Advisory Committees - yet the Parks Commission draft does not propose one. We believe that it is imperative that the Parks Commission institute an independent citizens' advisory committee to oversee the reduction and eventual elimination of pesticides by June 2013.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE MEETING ON MONDAY!!!
Other notes:
* The EPA has just banned three pesticides from use near streams. These pesticides are required to have a 200 to 600 foot buffer.
* The EPA has just agreed that it will not allow the spraying of 75 pesticides in the San Francisco Bay Area, because the pesticides have been found to harm endangered species.
Thanks for your help.
Tom Dimitre
Chair
Rogue Group Sierra Club
541-890-5022
