Pesticide Use in Lake Forest & Lake Bluff
Green Minds Proposals for Both Communities
- Our communities will create a pesticide working group and task it to investigate alternative turf management practices with proven success such as Boulder, CO; Marblehead, MA; City of St. Johns, Canada; Chicago, IL; and Harvard University. Our Parks and Recreation managers will consult with turf managers working for municipalities and educational institutions where pesticide use has been stopped or reduced. The working group will also evaluate current practices, including the total cost of these methods.
- Our communities will establish several pilot projects in selected athletic fields and parks where results of alternative practices can be tried and documented. A one-acre playing field at Everett School in Lake Forest is already a pilot project.
- Our communities will stop applying pesticides on playgrounds and immediately adjacent areas where children and families play or picnic.
- Green Minds asks the communities to develop a timeline to move the Parks Departments as well as private and public schools toward the adoption of natural lawn care practices on sports and other turf. Within two years our communities will substantially reduce the use of the more toxic pesticides on all sports fields by putting into place successful alternative management practices.
- Green Minds understands that sometimes pesticides are deemed necessary. In these instances, we ask the community to use only the least toxic pesticides and only as a last resort. Some pesticides which are particularly harmful shall be banned entirely.
- The community will launch a community-wide awareness campaign for residents and local businesses explaining alternative turf management practices and the possible dangers to themselves, their neighbors, pets, garden pollinators, wildlife, and our drinking water supply when they apply pesticides. The campaign should educate on pesticide applicators duties to inform and residents’ rights of information in regards to applied pesticides.
- Given that all landscapers doing business in our communities must be licensed, a notification mechanism, like the one in the state of Connecticut, will be put in place whereby an abutting neighbor who has requested notification shall be informed 24 hours before pesticides are applied on a neighboring property. A notification system ensures our community is in compliance with Illinois Lawn Care Products Application Notification Act. People who are sensitive to pesticides have a right to be able to make prior arrangements to avoid exposure. Front lawns should have clear signage of adequate size posted for at least 48 hours after pesticide treatment.
- It should be mandatory for all schools (private and public), community parks, bike paths, community centers and other places where any children play to notify concerned residents 1 week prior to pesticide application. A school and parks notification system will ensure our compliance with Illinois Lawn Care Products Application & Notification Act. Notification should include what chemicals will be applied and why. Larger, easier-to-read signage should be posted at all entry points and should remain posted for one week after application. he small flags currently in use are inadequate.
[1] 2012 Systematic Review of Pesticide Health Effects, M Sanborn et al, OCFP, 2012
[2] Risks From Lawn-Care Pesticides, John Wargo,PhD et al., Yale University, EHHI 2003
Why care?
Pesticides refer to chemicals that include herbicides, rodenticides, insecticides, fungicides, etc. There is a significant body of research available on the potential, harmful effects of pesticides on human health, pets, wildlife, watersheds, and drinking water as demonstrated in the most recent and comprehensive systematic review of Pesticide’s Health Effects by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.