APPENDIX B: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Policy and Procedures
City of Ripon
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy and Procedures
Integrated Pest Management Program
The City of Ripon Public Works Department is committed to an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program guiding the management of its parks, landscaped areas, and other essential public lands.
The purpose of this IPM program is to ensure and enhance the health, safety and welfare of citizens, visitors, and City staff by clearly defining the City’s pest management strategy, the priorities for administering this strategy, and the various means by which these priorities may be realized. Public access to records and information relating to the City’s pesticide use is an essential component of a successful IPM program, and Ripon is fully committed to providing all pertinent information to the public in a timely, comprehensive, and understandable manner.
The Public Works Department realizes that some pesticides are potentially hazardous to human health and the environment, and shall administer this IPM program with a focus on long term suppression of pest problems with minimum impact on human health, non-target organisms, and the environment. Least toxic pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates such a need, pursuant to the provisions of this policy.
Scope of IPM Policy
This policy governs not only City of Ripon employees, but also landscape contractors hired by the City of Ripon and persons acting under the authority or on behalf of the City of Ripon in the care and maintenance of City facilities, parks, landscaped areas, and other essential public lands.
As the City plans for the development of new parks and landscaped areas, or the rehabilitation of existing areas, specific attention will be directed toward including specifications that eliminate or reduce the need for chemical pesticides (e.g., mow strips next to fencing, covering all new planting areas with mulch, etc.).
Integrated Pest Management Implementation
The Public Works Department is responsible for implementing the IPM Policy and coordinating efforts to implement IPM techniques. The Department is responsible for communicating goals and policy decisions to appropriate staff and contractors, as well as ensuring proper training of all employees involved with the IPM program, and all contractors who perform landscape maintenance on the City’s behalf.
Only trained employees specifically trained as pesticide applicators shall be permitted to apply pesticides on City parks, landscaped areas, and other essential public lands. Applicators performing the training and oversight shall possess a Qualified Applicator Certificate or Qualified Applicator License, issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
The Department will ensure that pesticide use is recorded and made available for public review pursuant to the provisions of this policy.
Education and Training of Staff
Education and training of personnel is critical to the success of this IPM program. Employees involved in the maintenance of the City’s parks, landscaped areas, and other essential public lands, or with the purchasing, storage, handling, and application of pesticides shall receive all the mandated, necessary, and reasonable training required to perform such work in an efficient and safe manner, consistent with the provisions and intent of this policy. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) training in IPM and training in the use of non-chemical methods of pest control are important to a successful program. In addition to formal training, the City shall provide “Safe Handlers” training to all staff assisting in the application, storage or handling of pesticides or pesticide-related equipment. To the greatest extent practicable, City staff will ensure that all contractors hired to perform IPM related work on the City’s behalf have received appropriate education and training.
Use of Alternatives to Herbicides
The City is fully committed to the use of pesticide alternatives whenever practicable. When appropriate the Department will look to utilize the following: Application of mulch materials to discourage weed growth and encourage plant health. Use a weed torch as a post-emergent weed control. Limit blowing organic material away. Mechanically remove chemical resistant weeds.
Continue the use of nematodes. Utilize owl boxes. Continue to regulate and manage water to minimize plant stress.
Exempt Herbicides
The Public Works Department will explore the feasibility of using alternative herbicides such as FIFRA exempt products (herbicides exempted from regulation by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act), especially in parks, picnic areas, and other areas with high pedestrian interface. These exempt herbicides are usually also approved for organic food production by the National Organic Program (NOP). The City of Ripon shall strive to keep informed about new developments in pesticide alternatives and implement them whenever possible.
Criteria for Selection and Use of Herbicides
There shall be no non-exempt herbicide applications permitted within City playgrounds and on the grounds of City Hall and the Library. No herbicide applications shall be permitted on turf areas except in the maintenance of tree wells (a weed free zone around each tree), and certain landscape facilities (irrigation controllers, valve boxes, light fixture poles, & etc.).
It is understood that a completely weed free landscape environment is not a goal to which the City shall aspire. The Public Works Department shall maintain landscaped areas reasonably weed free, to preserve the function, and reasonable aesthetic appearance of public areas and City facilities. The Public Works Department shall select herbicides of the least toxic formulation as a first approach.
Herbicides shall be used only after all other non-pesticide means of weed control have been utilized or have been determined to be not feasible in a particular application due to site factors, ability of staff to provide a particular function or service, or other pertinent factors. Application of herbicides shall comply with the provisions of this policy.
As with the criteria for selection and use of all pesticides, the selection and use criteria for herbicides shall conform to standard IPM principles.
Exemption Process
Exemptions shall be allowed on a case by case basis and shall apply to a specific pest problem for a specific and limited time, with the selection and application of such pesticides conforming to the spirit and intent of this policy.
Prior to allowing an exemption the Public Works Department shall find: 1) a compelling need to use the pesticide, 2) a good faith effort to find alternatives to the particular pesticide, 3) that effective, economic alternatives to the particular pesticide do not exist for the proposed use, and 1) that the recommended pesticide is the least toxic pesticide available to control the target pest.
Notification of Pesticide Applications
The Department of Public Works shall notify the public of pesticide applications at specific locations as required by the law. Notification locations shall be those places where there is a highest level of public contact with the landscape. Notification shall be accomplished by posted signs at reasonable entry point locations. Notices shall include the product name, EPA Registration # (if applicable), and contact phone number for more information. Notices shall be posted prior to pesticide application and shall remain in place for at least 24 hours. FIFRA Exempt, NOP approved, or other such non-toxic or botanical pesticides shall be exempt from these notification requirements.
Record Keeping of Pesticide Applications
The Public Works Department shall maintaining records of all pesticide applications on City property performed by City staff, or by contractors or persons authorized to apply pesticides on behalf of the Public Works Department. The City shall maintain these records for a period of four (4) years, and shall make the information available to the public, upon request. Application records shall include at least the following information: site of application, date of application, target pest, name of the product and active ingredient of the pesticide(s) applied and EPA registration number, amount of product applied, and the pesticide signal word. In addition, IPM records shall include a list of all exemptions granted, as well as the written justifications developed for the consideration of those exemptions.
The Public Works Department shall strive to make this information available in a prompt and efficient manner with the understanding that its provision is not only the legal right of any member of the public, but also a critical component of a successful IPM program.
Non-herbicidal Pesticide Use
The City of Ripon’s use of non-herbicidal pesticides is extremely infrequent. As the Public Works Department’s use of regulated non-herbicidal pesticides is limited only to insecticides.
The Public Works Department shall likewise continue to limit its use of non-herbicidal pesticides.
When the Public Works Department determines a need for applying a non-herbicidal pesticide, the following should be considered first: 1) a compelling need to use the pesticide, 2) a good faith effort to find alternatives to the particular pesticide, and 3) that effective, economic alternatives to the particular pesticide do not exist for the proposed use, and 4) that the recommended pesticide is the least toxic pesticide available to control the target pest.
The public notification provisions of this policy shall also govern the application of nonherbicidal pesticides.
Exemption To This Policy
An exemption to this pesticide policy will be made in order to control the proliferation of biting or stinging insects such as yellow jackets, wasps, mosquitoes, and other similar pests. Generally, the control of these insects is administered by the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District. In addition, the City will exempt any governmental entity from the provisions of this policy whose authority pre-empts that of the City.