Louisville parks board asks city to review pesticide program, buy pesticide-free plants

Louisville’s Parks & Public Landscaping Advisory Board will discuss Oct. 7 requests asking City Council to prioritize a review of the city’s Integrated Weed and Pest Management Program and pesticide-free plants for municipal landscaping, parks and open space, the board’s agenda says. The agenda also calls for Council input on a possible consultant for the review.

In a Sept. 2 memo, the board asked Council to make the review a priority during the coming year. The board says the program is about 10 years old, and newer pesticides and herbicides have since become available and are in use in the Parks and Open Space departments. The program’s original adoption included discontinuing glyphosate and 2,4-D in city parks, playgrounds and selected other properties. The board wants community members and other advisory boards involved in considering possible revisions, an effort it says would require significant staff, Council and community time and resources, the memo says.

In a second memo, the board asked Council to prioritize buying pesticide-free plant stock for public landscaping, parks and open-space projects. It says only a limited number of local growers offer such plants and argues that city purchasing could encourage a greater supply and variety of ornamental and native plants. The board also cited potential exposure and environmental concerns, including systemic chemicals in plant tissues, pollen and nectar, and chemicals in potting media or soil that could leach into surrounding soil and groundwater, the memo says.

The agenda and memos record requests, not a Council decision or a policy change.