Recommendations

Add Remaining 18 Parks to the Pesticide-Free Parks Program

All public parks should be maintained without pesticides.

Tremendous community support

Successful 2-Year Pilot Project In Watson Park

                        “If it can be done in Watson Park, it can be done anywhere”

Costs were comparable to pesticide maintenance

Roundup concerns  

Designate Playground & Picnic Areas as Pesticide-Free Zones

All playgrounds and picnic areas should be pesticide-free.  Here is a list of buffer zone guidelines from other cities: 

Santa Barbara, CA - 100’ buffer zone for all playgrounds/ 25’ buffer zone for all picnic areas

Seattle, WA - No pesticides around any playground equipment for last 20 years; recent policy establishes 25’ buffer zone all around playground areas and picnic shelters

Boulder, CO - 50’ buffer zone around all playgrounds

San Francisco, CA - No pesticides are sprayed around playground equipment or picnic areas

Improve Public Notification

Before pesticide application

We still recommend 24 hours notice before pesticide application begins. There have been problems specifically at the levee.  A bicycle rider who travels the levee regularly said that on more than one occasion she has been forced to ride through pesticide drift on her return trip and that there were no signs to let her know that spraying would occur. 

After pesticide application

We highly recommend that signs be kept in place for at least 7 days.  24 hours does not provide enough time for pesticides to break down.

Make Pesticide Record Available and Up-To-Date

The Pesticide Record must be current and readily available to all citizens.  It should be available online and in hardcopy form.  In a May 2005 memo, Parks & Recreation agreed to provide the Pesticide Record to the public, yet it is still not available.

Landscape with Native Plants and Provide Food for Wildlife

There should be an emphasis on perennial native plants, which are naturally drought and disease resistant and come back year after year.  Using native plants could help the city conserve water, reduce labor, reduce landscaping costs, and save money.

Native plants reflect and promote our Kansas history and provide food and shelter for wildlife. 

Fruit-bearing female trees, which also provide food for wildlife, should be a part of the landscape. 

Volunteers would like Watson Park to be home to a butterfly garden and a Monarch Waystation.

Improve Pesticide-Free Park Signage

Pesticide-Free Park signs should be larger and more conspicuous.  Current signs are not easily seen by drivers or pedestrians.

Invest in Staff Education, Tools, and Technologies

Staff should receive education regarding pesticide-free maintenance strategies.  There are many educational opportunities available locally, statewide, and nationally.

Kansas Native Plant Society sponsors an annual tour in Lawrence which highlights organizations and individuals that landscape with native plants.   

Beyond Pesticides is sponsoring a teleconference training featuring Chip Osborne, a nationally-recognized natural turf management expert.  The cost to participate in the 3-part training is $45 for city officials.

Create Weeding Jobs

Create job opportunities for our community instead of using toxic pesticides.  Some options include:

Jobs for Teens Program

Seasonal Positions

Full-time Positions

Contract to Local Lawn Care Companies

Adopt Citywide Pesticide Standards

The City of Lawrence should create uniform pesticide use standards that apply to all city government departments and agencies.  Current Parks and Recreation standards would be a great starting point.