Item A: Use of Pesticides in City Parks and Buildings

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of weeds, mulching, and other mechanical, non-chemical means. Plants and lawns are treated with only organic, natural fertilizers. On occasion it is necessary to use a chemical treatment on an insect pest, but care is taken to choose the least toxic pesticide. In addition, the standard operating procedure when dealing with pests at all City facilities is to follow least invasive procedures first. As part of this policy, staff meets with the occupants of the site to go over the situation and identify any non-chemical ways of treating the problem. Facilities staff does a physical audit of contributing factors in the affected area which is then shared with building staff. As many pests become a problem because of the direct actions of humans, modifying these actions can often substantially reduce the pest problems. Facility Management prefers the use of a structured program of pest control starting with low-impact and working upwards to chemical treatment only if needed. Often deep-cleaning, elimination of breeding grounds, removal of food sources or addressing the physical structure will address the pest problem. If all low-impact steps are unsuccessful, a state-licensed pest management contractor is hired to resolve the issues. Facility Management secures contracts and/or price agreements with established IPM procedures with vendors who do supplemental pest control work for interior building pests, as well as landscape pests. Does the City have a least-toxic pesticide purchasing list? Although there is not a shared list, implementation of the IPM policy drives a decision-making process which selects the effective control method with the lowest non-target impact – the least toxic effective option. The decision to purchase and apply a pesticide is made based upon the pest, the alternative control methods available, the type of damage the pest is causing and the risk to health, safety and public infrastructure that the pest presents. Purchases and applications are made after careful consideration of the balance between the impacts of the pest and the impacts of the control method. POS staff work with partner agencies to share best management strategies and compare results of control efforts and they have developed least-toxic approaches to weed management that are considered state of the art and are approved for use around waterways and other sensitive habitat areas. All pesticide purchases for POS and Facility Management are made by state-licensed pesticide applicators that hold certifications for pesticide laws and safety and application of pesticides on public lands. Has staff explored non-chemical alternatives? For several decades POS staff has led the field in development of alternatives to toxic chemicals for controlling pests. Significant resources have been invested in trialing and evaluating many alternative weed control methods. Some methods that are currently used in the City’s parklands include: hand pulling and grubbing; propane torch burning; sheet mulching; compost, leaf and wood chip mulching; alternative plant selection; solarizing; shading; installation of mowing strips and pads under fences, signs, picnic tables and other park amenities; and seed bank depletion before new plantings are installed. In addition, staff has tried the following alternative weed treatment methods which were largely ineffective, dangerous for staff, or impractical at the parkland scale: clove oil, citric acid, vinegar, corn gluten, desiccating soaps and fatty esters, and steam treatments. S:\CMO\2013 Council Agendas\M130313\S130313A.doc