Using pesticides is “not healthy,” said Cindy Donovan, a park commissioner pushing to crack down on the use of chemicals.

The new policy dictates that pesticides can be used only to combat health hazards, which could include stamping out an outbreak of mosquito-borne disease or knocking back out-of-control poison ivy.

“It’d tie our hands” completely, said Nathan Peabody, another park commissioner.

Peabody said the new policy limits the use of pesticides but doesn’t strictly bar them.

The move follows action in the General Assembly recently to do more to keep playing fields at schools free of chemicals that could potentially cause health problems for students.

Park director Ed Swicklas said that pesticides are generally not used on the boulevard anyway.

Donovan said there’s no doubt that an organic approach to caring for the grass is more costly than using environmentally damaging chemicals. But, she said, it’s worth the extra cost to provide a healthier environment.

The move sets the stage for officials to consider limiting pesticides at other Bristol parks.