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Marin County Parks IPM pesticide use policy

Home» Campaigns » Marin County Parks IPM pesticide use policy
Marin’s IPM Ordinance and Policy is a statewide model. This was a grassroots effort, led by moms, and they convinced the whole Board of Supervisors. – Supervisor Judy Arnold

The Issue

In 2008, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for the County of Marin was undergoing a rewrite. Many of its important provisions were threatened. Serious violations of the law whereby carcinogens were sprayed repeatedly in parks and other areas where children played were also uncovered. In response, Marin County adopted a revised IPM ordinance in 2009.

Our Position

Moms Advocating Sustainability (MOMAS) met frequently with County Supervisors and staff to update them about the most current science linking exposure to pesticides – even at very small doses – to serious chronic illnesses. We organized, wrote letters, made phone calls and alerted the press. Ultimately, we worked closely with Marin County staff to help develop and adopt some of the most health-oriented pesticide laws in the country. There are so many great aspects of our County’s award winning program that it is now a model for other cities and counties. As parents, it is wonderful to know that our County playgrounds, picnic areas and turf/grass are maintained as “pesticide free zones” and our bike and multi-use paths are “organically maintained.”

Learn More

We now have full and accurate reporting about pesticides used on County property. Learn more at the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program website. You can also read the Pacific Sun story about how we achieved this victory.

How you can help!

Thanks to our calls, letters and in person meetings, our County Supervisors have agreed to fund the County’s integrated pest management program (IPM Program) to not only allow it to continue but also to strengthen the program during the next fiscal year.

This is fantastic news and we need your help thanking our hard working County staff and Supervisors for their work. More info »

(c) 2012-2016 MOMS Advocating Sustainability
Photo credit for light brown moth: Donald Hobern, Epiphyas postvittana under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.