ALERT! CITY OF SEDONA RESUMES TOXIC HERBICIDE SPRAYING! ALERT!
On April 28, 2009 the Sedona City Council decided to reverse its prior policy and resume toxic herbicide spraying. The following letter is in response to that action.
May 12, 2009
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
We are writing to request that you reconsider your decision to resume the spraying of harmful herbicides along Sedona’s main corridor, Highway 89A. In several letters and statements delivered to the council during 2006 and 2007, we offered a complete set of recommendations for setting up a successful nontoxic weed control program (http://www.geocities.com/sedonasprayfree/SuggestionsForNon-ToxicWeedControlProgram.htm or see below). Sadly, none of our recommendations were followed. Please do not give up on an approach that you voted unanimously to adopt simply because it wasn’t given a proper trial.
Alternative weed control requires much more than replacing one costly spray product with another. Such an approach can be neither effective nor affordable, as Sedona’s superintendent of street maintenance has now confirmed. The figure he has given of $127,000 for weed control on a mere 6.8 acres is staggering and totally unnecessary.
Mr. Neimy has spoken out strongly against alternative weed control from the outset. Is it therefore any surprise that his ill-advised approach has failed? If his heart were really in this project, why were weeds allowed to grow rampant for several months after “alternative” methods were to be used? And if he really wanted the program to be viable, why were none of our cost-cutting recommendations followed?
Isn’t it time to give someone else the opportunity to create and oversee a toxin-free weed control program in Sedona? Other cities have shuffled employees’ responsibilities, relied on citizens’ advisory boards, or both, to ensure the success of their programs.
As medical evidence against herbicides is mounting, the global trend is away from their use, especially in public areas. Recent provincial bans on cosmetic herbicide use in Quebec and Ontario have met with overwhelming public support-- 80% in Quebec. The people of Sedona would like to keep pace with these positive changes. Please remember the roughly 1200 individuals and 70 businesses who signed petitions opposing the use of herbicides in Sedona.
We ask that you carefully review the attached list of recommendations for creating a successful non-toxic weed control program. Much more can be done to reduce costs and improve results without resorting to toxic spraying. Please do not abandon your goal of keeping Sedona safe and beautiful.
We look forward to your response.
Respectfully submitted,
10 signatures
Suggestions for creating a successful non-toxic weed control program (referenced above):
1. Reduce the number of landscaped areas. Public works employees have stated that it is in landscaped areas that they have the greatest difficulty controlling weeds.
2. Reintroduce native grasses and wildflowers wherever possible. Native plants blend in beautifully with the natural surroundings and require only minimal maintenance. Mike Mingo, natural resources planner for the Arizona Department of Transportation, has provided recommendations on grass and wildflower seed mixes for Sedona, as well as information on purchasing seeds and establishing an appropriate mowing schedule.
[Mike is available for further consultation at 602-712-6993.]
3. Consider using the new award-winning weed barrier, CRMCrete, in appropriate areas. Developed by California Department of Transportation employees in response to mandates to reduce herbicide use, CRMCrete has been found to be a cost-effective long-term solution to weed growth. It lasts three times as long as regular concrete. It is fire resistant and can be stamped, colored, or embedded with stones for esthetic appeal. Unlike the loose stones currently being used in Sedona, CRMCrete does not become a growing medium for weeds and therefore requires no maintenance.
[For more information, including a CD on proper application of CRMCrete, contact Caltrans engineer Salvador Torres at 530-225-2034.]
4. Focus on removing weeds as soon as possible after they appear, rather than following a pre-set schedule or waiting until weeds become an eyesore. Plants that are two inches in height or smaller generally have not stored enough carbohydrates in their roots to regenerate a top, and therefore can easily be killed root and all in a single treatment. Removing weeds when they are small means less effort, less cost and a better-looking landscape.
5. Consider appointing a horticulturist or citizens’ advisory board to provide continual monitoring of weed growth and to schedule all weed removal. This will lighten the burden on public works officials and allow them to focus on providing equipment and work crews as needed.
6. Set up a volunteer program coordinated by a city employee or citizens’ advisory board. Volunteer programs that are working in other cities include:
o Adopt-A-Highway or Adopt-A-Park programs, involving individuals, groups, and businesses. Businesses along Highway 89A, and landscaping businesses might be particularly interested, especially if recognition were given on a plaque or sign.
o Weed-a-thons co-sponsored by non-profit groups seeking a fundraising project. These can involve a direct donation from the city to the group or the collection by the group of pledges from community members.
o Special events, possibly tied to national Seasons of Service holidays. [Volunteer coordinator for Arizona state parks, Nicole Armstrong-Best, is enthusiastic about the value of volunteer events and is available for consultation at 602-542-7152.]
7. Consider using part-time seasonal labor or prison labor if possible. Traditional methods, such as pulling and hoeing, do not require licensed workers or expensive equipment, so can be readily performed by crews of low-cost or volunteer workers. And how about Vice-Mayor Jerry Frey’s suggestion of enlisting citizens with unpaid parking fines?
8. Consider setting up a special account to hold funds from direct donations earmarked for nontoxic weed control and funds raised through special events. Volunteers could raise money for the city while pulling weeds in an event similar to the weed-a-thon mentioned earlier.
9. Investigate possible funding through grants. The availability of grants changes continually, but grants have been offered for environmentally friendly weed control in the past. Possibilities include the EPA, health organizations, environmental groups, and businesses.
10. Consider re-doing the trials of the vitamin C based weed killer, C-Cide. Lisa Smith of LS Distributing is still willing to oversee trials of C-Cide at no cost to the city. Along with Cornell University researchers, Lisa has overseen numerous successful trials of C-Cide for schools and government agencies in New York state. [Lisa Smith can be reached at 631-262-0851.]
11. Take time now to re-think your entire approach to weed control and create a comprehensive plan for success. No single change will be enough. When eliminating synthetic herbicides, it becomes more important than ever to use all available resources efficiently. To summarize, this means reducing high-maintenance landscaping, careful monitoring of weed growth to ensure that most weeds are removed when they are small, and getting the community involved.