MPRB Commissioners set a moratorium Oct. 17, 2018 on the use of glyphosate in all MPRB land and water resource management activities by Park Staff, consultants and contractors beginning January 1st 2019.
The resolution also establishes a 15-member Technical and Community Advisory Committee to research viable alternatives to using glyphosate and other toxic pesticides throughout the park system and assist and advise the MPRB in transitioning towards pesticide-free resource management alternatives. The committee will be 9 community members (one by each commissioner) and 6 technical experts (by the Ass”'t. Supt. of Environmental Stewardship); all for a 2-year term.
It will present an initial report to the MPRB April 3, 2019 including initial recommended practices and potential modifications to MPRB”'s Integrated Pest Management Plan and for the Ass”'t Supt.of Environmental Stewardship to continue to make annual reports recommending alternative practices for chemical pesticide use.
Since 2000, the MPRB has had a policy concerning the use of pesticides and herbicides within the park system (periodically reviewed and updated) and worked for years to minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides by using alternatives such as biological controls, goat grazing and experiments with organic pesticides.
In 2016, the Board eliminated the use of glyphosate in all neighborhood parks throughout the system, excluding projects that were currently underway. This resolution expands on that effort.The MPRB manages 6,800+ acres–water, trails, parkways and open spaces. Most of the acreage is parkland and includes neighborhood parks and recreation centers, playgrounds, multiuse athletic fields, open lawns, picnic areas and golf courses.
