Lawrence, Kansas Commission Considers Plan to Stop Use of Pesticides on City Properties

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a group of residents in Lawrence, Kansas are pushing city commissioners to adopt a ban on all pesticides by 2008 in the city's 52 parks, downtown flower beds and the local golf course. Mayor Mike Rundle supports the ban as a matter of public health and will bring the issue to the city commission. Terry Shistar, an adjunct assistant professor in environmental studies at Kansas University is another supporter.

The city designated a four-mile stretch of right-of-way in 2002 pesticide-free, a kind of test run. Fred DeVictor, director of Lawrence Park & Rec, notes that his crews have not able to keep the test strip free of weeds and have had to do some spraying. He says his department doesn't have enough workers to hand-pull weeds.

The anti-pesticide group asserts a combination of increased aeration, use of hot water spraying to kill common weeds and physically pulling other weeds is viable.

DeVictor said Parks & Rec only does spot spraying by trained personnel and has not received health-related complaints from the public.

The mayor seeks to have two of the city's parks pesticide-free by the end of 2005. The city will not limit residents from use of pesticides on their properties.