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JENNINGS Carrie A <br /> From: JENNINGS Carrie A <br /> To: LEE Bobby W <br /> Cc: DILLER Della M <br /> Subject: Council Assignment Request Regarding Pesticide Use <br /> Date: Wednesday, November 26, 1997 10:51AM <br /> FROM: Bob Hammitt <br /> Thank you for your inquiry about pesticide use by City parks maintenance crews. Eugene has an international <br /> reputation as a leader in reducing pesticide dependence through the use of integrated pest management (IPM) <br /> methodology. <br /> Briefly, IPM is based on methods developed by two USDA entomologists in 1923 to combat the boll weevil in U.S. <br /> cotton crops. Instead of blanket applications of insecticide on calendar- driven intervals, IPM sought to disrupt the <br /> target pest by using the most resistant varieties of cotton, preserving natural predators, and disrupting the pest's <br /> life cycle through habitat destruction. In addition, fields were monitored by trained "scouts" and spot- treatments of <br /> pesticide were utilized only where the other measures had not kept pest populations below the desired level. <br /> Pesticide use and pest - control costs dropped dramatically. Advocacy for wider adoption of the methodology has <br /> continued from that time to the present. <br /> One of the stronger advocates for wider use of IPM was Dr. William Olkowski, the founder of the Bio- Integral <br /> Resource Center (B.I.R.C.) of Berkeley, CA. Dr. Olkowski gave a seminar in Eugene in 1980, that our staff <br /> attended. Our own IPM program was implemented that same year. It has now grown to the point that our IPM <br /> Coordinator, Tim Rhay, has twice shared the program with Ms. Sheila Daar, who succeeded Dr. Olkowski as <br /> spokesperson for B.I.R.C., at environmental seminars for grounds maintenance staff. These seminars were <br /> co- sponsored by a local environmental advocacy group, the United States Environmental Protection Agency <br /> (USEPA), and the Seattle Tilth organization. <br /> Our IPM Coordinator, Mr. Rhay has been a lecturer at both Oregon State University and the University of Oregon <br /> and has addressed numerous industry- related conferences and training seminars. He gave testimony before the <br /> Oregon Senate's Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Toxic Substances, and functions as a <br /> consultant and trainer to the State of Oregon and other municipalities seeking to adopt IPM methodology in their <br /> grounds and right -of -way maintenance operations. He is author of a training workbook for field staff, several <br /> articles printed in industry and environmental publications, and three chapters in the book "Handbook of Integrated <br /> Pest Management for Turf and Ornamentals ", jointly produced by Lewis Publishers and the USEPA. <br /> Using historic IPM methods, adjusted to fit grounds maintenance rather than agricultural crops, our staff has <br /> continued to develop a variety of vegetation and pest control strategies that have enabled us to reduce pesticide <br /> use without sacrificing program productivity. In some cases, productivity has increased. Treatment thresholds <br /> based on the National Recreation and Park Association's Standards for Park Maintenance determine when weed <br /> or pest suppression requires human intervention. Strategies are selected that will suppress weed /pest levels <br /> below threshold values with minimum impact on the non - target environment. Applications are timed for maximum <br /> effectiveness and safety. Target - specific and spot treatments are the norm rather than comprehensive <br /> applications. <br /> It is not accurate to imply that we have eliminated all need to use pesticides (while we have never made such a <br /> claim, others have done so inaccurately). Some problems remain for which viable, cost - effective, non - chemical <br /> options have proven elusive. In these cases, IPM protocols assure minimum non - target impact from necessary <br /> applications. Our vegetation and pest control programs are among the safest and most effective in the world. <br /> I would be happy to arrange a presentation giving more detail on our Integrated Pest Management program. Such <br /> a presentation would require approximately 45 minutes, plus time for questions and answers. Similar <br /> presentations have consistently received positive evaluations from audiences, such as neighborhood groups. <br /> Hope this information is helpful. If you desire more detail please contact me, or Tim Rhay, at 682 -4800. <br /> Page 1 <br />