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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2005)
BY KERA ABRAHAM Pesticide-Free Parks / i iÀÌÌÞ iÌiÀ Is Eugene up to the challenge? -!+%ô!ô$2%!-ô#/-%ô425%ô"%#/-%ô!.ô%''ô$/./2 1EBñ#BOQFIFQVñ BKQBOñLCñ,OBDLKñE>PñEBIMBAñJ>KVñ@LRMIBPñ >@EFBSBñMOBDK>K@VñPFK@Bñ ñ4Bñ>OBñFKñKBBAñLCñBDDñALKLOPñ QLñ@LKQFKRBñQLñEBIMñFKCBOQFIBñTLJBK ñ vÊ -OL@BAROBPñ >OBñ ALKBñ FKñ >ñ IL@>Iñ @IFKF@ñ LSBOñ >ñ PFU TBBHñ MBOFLA ñOBNRFOFKDñBFDEQñQLñQBKñSFPFQP ñ!LKLOPñ>OBñ@LJMBKP>QBAñ ñCLOñQEBFOñQFJB ñ&CñVLRñ>OBñ>ñEB>IQEVñTLJ>Kñ>DBñjñ >KAñ >OBñ FKQBOBPQBAñ @>IIñ ñ LOñ SFPFQñ LROñ TB?PFQBñ >Qñ ñ TTT CBOQFIFQV@BKQBOLCLOBDLK @LJ ", " ARTISAN BAGELS FRESH BAKED Boiled & Hearth Baked Daily Springfield Eugene 810 Willamette 341-1335 5768 Main St. 868-1072 Enrollment 2005-2006 The Village School is a tuition-free Steiner inspired public charter school serving children K - 8. The Village School provides a holistic, arts integrated curriculum educating the whole child using artistry, music and movement. A coalition of nonprofits known as Pesticide Free Partners recently convinced the City of Portland to stop applying pesticides – including insecti- cides, herbicides and fungicides – in three public parks. Portland will test organic pesti- cide alternatives such as vinegar and natural soaps in three other parks. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP), with support from nine other envi- ronmentally progressive nonprofits, spear- headed the effort. Managing parks without pesticides mini- mizes hazards to park users while reducing toxic runoff into streams. “Our goal is to be more sensitive to environmental and human health,” says city of Portland Horticultural Services Supervisor Kathleen Murrin. “Whether or not that can be achieved by eliminating the use of pesticides is something that we’re trying to look at.” Cities from Seattle to Santa Barbara, Calif., have adopted similar initiatives, but not Eugene. “We don’t have a pesticide-free program,” says Eugene Parks and Open Space Landscape Supervisor Chris Girard, “but my work group is always looking for al- ternatives to pesticides.” According to Parks Maintenance Manager Sarah Medary, the city generally uses integrated pest management (IPM) to control weeds and insects in public open space. IPM emphasizes non-chemical meth- ods, allowing pesticides use only when other approaches fail. Pesticide spraying “is the last practice we tend to use,” Medary says. Non-chemical pest control methods in- clude hand weeding, mulching, mowing, and the use of propane flame devices and infrared heaters. “We have a lot of environmentally focused staff members who are constantly looking for better ways to do things,” Medary says. Girard says that his landscape crew is looking into eco-friendly products like Waipuna Hot Foam, which is derived from the sugars of corn and coconut, and BurnOut, a biodegradable herbicide made with clove oil. But for tough invaders like Japanese knotweed, Girard’s crew spot-sprays glyphosate (the active chemical in Monsanto’s popular herbicide Roundup). Park Amenities Supervisor Richard Zucker says that city workers weed by hand near restrooms, picnic areas and play- grounds. But there is no written policy for- bidding pesticide applications in high-use areas. “It’s supposed to be common knowl- edge,” Zucker says. According to the Toxics Right-to-Know database, the city applied 274 pounds of glyphosate (Roundup) to public open spaces in 2003. Even without a clear pesticide policy, the city takes precaution when applying chemi- cals to public open spaces, Medary says. Only licensed applicators spray pesticides, and the city tracks all chemical applications in compliance with the Toxics Right-to- Know Act. But workers are not required to post notices when they spray, and spray they do. According to the Toxics Right-to-Know database, the city applied 274 pounds of glyphosate to public open spaces in 2003. Medary says that the city has a “good working relationship” with NCAP, and one park — Scobert Park in Whiteaker — is al- ready pesticide-free. But NCAP has not pro- posed a pesticide-free park program for Eugene. “For strategic reasons we chose Portland,” says NCAP Program Coordinator Megan Kemple. Could Eugene try a pesticide-free park program like Portland’s? “We’re open to it,” Medary says. “I’d have to be convinced that we’re doing it for the right reasons.” Eugene’s Parks and Open Space Department plans to draft a written pesticide policy within the next two months, making this an opportune time for citizens to share their thoughts with the city. “The public always has the right to give us input on our practices,” Medary says. She can be reached at 682-2809 or sarah.j.medary@ci.eugene.or.us. ew The Toxics Right-to-Know Act requires the city to track and report information on its use of hazardous chemicals. To access databases, visit www.ci.eugene.or.us/toxics. For more information on the Pesticide-Free Parks program, contact NCAP Program Coordinator Megan Kemple at portland@pesticide.org Enroll by attending a required Prospective Parent Information Meeting January, 2005 Friday 14th - 10 am Saturday 22nd - 10 am Thursday 27th - 6:30 pm February, 2005 Monday 7th - 10 am Saturday 19th - 10 am Thursday 24th - 6:30 pm The Village School 2855 Lincoln St. Phone: 345-7285 Email: village@4j.lane.edu Website: www.eugenevillageschool.org Lottery held at the end of February, 2005 10 JANUARY 13, 2005 Relax More Hearts of Space 10:00p.m. - 11:00p.m. Tu New Dreamers 11:00p.m. - 1:00a.m. M-Tu
