HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5101COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 5101
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE CITY OF EUGENE'S PARKS AND OPEN SPACE DIVISION'S
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) POLICY AND
PROCEDURES, ENDORSING EXPANSION OF THE PESTICIDE -
FREE PARKS PROGRAM, REQUIRING ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS
TO ADOPT AN IPMPOLICY AND PROCEDURES, AND BANNING
USE OF NEONICOTINOIDS ON ALL CITY PROPERTY
PASSED: 7:0
REJECTED:
OPPOSED:
ABSENT: Zelenka
CONSIDERED: February 26, 2014
RESOLUTION NO. 5101
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING ON -GOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY OF
EUGENE'S PARKS AND OPEN SPACE DIVISION'S INTEGRATED PEST
MANAGEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES, ENDORSING EXPANSION OF THE
PESTICIDE -FREE PARK PROGRAM, REQUIRING ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO
ADOPT AN IPM POLICY AND PROCEDURES, AND BANNING THE USE OF
NEONICOTINOIDS ON CITY PROPERTY
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
A. In 1999, the City Council adopted as one of its main goals the following: Healthy
Natural and Built Environment — a community that conserves and enhances the natural
environment and provides an attractive and healthy place to live.
B. On February 28, 2000, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4618 adopting a
definition and statement of intent regarding application of sustainability principles to the City of
Eugene, and affirmed the commitment of City elected officials and staff to uphold these
principles.
C. In October 2000, the City of Eugene hired CH2M Hill, a consulting company, to
perform a review of the City's practices and activities, and their associated potential to affect the
environment. The final report entitled "A Review of City of Eugene Activities for Potential to
Affect the Natural Environment" was released in March 2001. This assessment of City activities
and their associated environmental impacts was intended to help identify activities that the City
performs which may be harmful to the environment and to examine and implement ways to
reduce those impacts. One of the recommendations in the final report was to work towards using
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and practices in all City- managed landscaping and
maintenance.
D. In 2003, the City adopted and implemented an Environmental Policy. The policy
states that the City of Eugene is committed to protecting, preserving, and restoring the natural
environment and that City decision - making will be guided by the goals of increasing
environmental benefits and reducing or eliminating negative environmental impacts in all aspects
of the City's activities, while maintaining the City's fiscal integrity and the community's
economic vitality.
E. One aspect of protecting public health is reducing the public's exposure to pesticides.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, infants and children may be especially
sensitive to health risks posed by pesticides for several reasons: (a) their internal organs are still
developing and maturing; (b) in relation to their body weight, infants and children eat and drink
more than adults, possibly increasing their exposure to pesticides in food and water; and (c)
certain behaviors, such as playing on floors or lawns or putting objects in their mouths, increase
a child's exposure to pesticides used in homes and yards.
F. Recent research suggests that there is a possible link between pesticides that contain
neonicotinoids and the die -off of plant pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, butterflies,
moths, and other insects. Neonicotinoids are synthetic chemical insecticides that are similar in
structure and action to nicotine, a naturally occurring plant compound. Neonicotinoids are
absorbed into plant tissue and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them potentially toxic
to pollinators.
G. In March 2009, the City's Parks and Open Space Division adopted an Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) Policy and Operations Manual. The policy and operations manual applies to
all City park and open space lands.
• To stay current with best management practices and information about the
efficacy of different IPM protocols, the manual was updated in April 2010, May
2012, and June 2013.
Within the manual, "No Pesticide Zones" are described for most areas where high
numbers of park users, particularly infants and children, concentrate. For
example, there are "No Pesticide Zones" around playgrounds, exercise stations,
dog parks, picnic areas, community gardens, outdoor swimming pools, wading
pools, and water spray play features.
The Parks and Open Space Division is recognized regionally as a leader in the
field of IPM on public lands.
H. In 2006, the Parks and Open Space Division initiated a Pesticide -Free Parks Program.
A pesticide -free park is one that is maintained without the use of registered pesticides. No
registered pesticides are used in a City of Eugene pesticide -free park during the calendar year of
designation unless there is a threat to public health or safety. As of December 2013, there are
nine parks in the Pesticide -Free Parks Program, which include the following:
• Awbrey Park,
• Berkeley Park,
• Brewer Park,
• Friendly Park,
• Gilbert Park,
• Rosetta Park,
• Scobert Gardens Park,
• Shadow Wood Park, and
• Washington Park.
I. The City Council finds that it would be in the public interest and consistent with
adopted City policy for the City to continue to demonstrate its commitment to a safe and healthy
community environment through continued implementation of Integrated Pest Management
practices in our parks and open spaces and expansion of the Pesticide Free Park Program.
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a Municipal
Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows:
Section 1. The City's Parks and Open Space Division will continue to implement its
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and procedures on all City park and open space lands.
The IPM procedures will be updated periodically, as new information and best management
practices become available. The most current version of the IPM Policy and Operations Manual
will continue to be accessible to the public from the City's web site.
Section 2. The City's Parks and Open Space Division will work, to the best of its ability,
to expand its Pesticide -Free Parks Program to additional Neighborhood Parks.
Section 3. Within eighteen (18) months following the adoption of this Resolution, all
Departments within the City of Eugene shall adopt an Integrated Pest Management policy and
associated operational procedures and begin operating consistent with the policy and procedures.
Section 4. Beginning with the effective date of this Resolution, the City of Eugene will
not use any product that contains neonicotinoids on any City property.
Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
The foregoing Resolution adopted the 26` day of February, 2014.
City Recorder