Statement
of Carol Grohs from Cornville (6-9-09 Open Forum)
Dear Mayor
Adams and Council Members,
I hope you will
reconsider your decision to resume the use of harmful herbicides in
Sedona. I am one of many area residents
who deeply appreciate your efforts to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals, not
only along 89A, but in Sedona’s city parks and in and around city
buildings. I ask that you not give up
now. For if you do,
all of your efforts, expenditures and experience will have been wasted.
Clearly,
some serious and costly mistakes were made during Sedona’s initial
“alternative” trials. That is unfortunate,
but natural. Why not learn from these
mistakes and move forward, this time with a carefully laid out plan?
As a
horticulturist, I have consulted colleagues around the country and have
compiled a list of suggestions for cutting costs and improving results in weed
control programs. Some of the
suggestions can also be applied to pest control. All of them have worked in other cities, but
none of them, to my knowledge, have yet been tried in Sedona. (For elaboration, please refer to the handout
provided. http://www.geocities.com/sedonasprayfree/CostSavingSuggestions.htm
)
1. Designate a weed and pest control
coordinator within your staff or appoint a citizens’ advisory board to provide
continual monitoring of problems and scheduling of work.
2. Provide training in least toxic weed
and pest control to any employees who will be making decisions in these areas.
3. Establish ongoing communication with
the many individuals around the country who have offered to share their
experience and knowledge with us.
4. Reduce the number of landscaped
areas.
5. Reintroduce native grasses and
wildflowers wherever possible.
6. 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.
7. Try the new and innovative
“solarization” technique being used by the city of
8. Use part-time seasonal labor, prison
labor, or the labor of citizens owing community service whenever possible.
9. Set up a volunteer program
coordinated by a city employee or citizens’ advisory board.
10. Set up a special account to hold
funds from direct donations earmarked for nontoxic weed and pest control and
funds raised through special events.
11. Investigate possible funding through
grants.
12. Check out the innovative and ultra
green weed and pest control techniques being used by
Why not
give these ideas a try?
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
Please do
not abandon your goal of making Sedona as healthy as it is beautiful.
Respectfully
submitted,
Carol Grohs