San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin is considering even more restrictive use of an herbicide it has used sparingly to control invasive weeds on public lands, and staff will present information about its integrated pest management (IPM) practices during a public workshop Tuesday in San Rafael.
At the workshop, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Marin County Civic Center, Marin County Parks staff will present an overview of current IPM practices, review most recent best practices and propose more restrictive use of glyphosate-based weed control products. The informational workshop is part of the regular Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting, although the Board is not taking a vote on the matter at this time.
Since 1983, the County has been committed to reducing herbicide use. Its first IPM ordinance was adopted in 1998, and its implementation has led to an 80 percent reduction in herbicide use over 12 years. In 2012, California Department of Pesticide Regulation included the County of Marin in its annual IPM Innovator Awards for its successes.
The Board of Supervisors and the Parks department have received hundreds of public comments about the County’s use of glyphosate since the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization, labeled the product a probable carcinogen earlier this year. In response, the Board created a subcommittee to understand and evaluate existing County practices and potential implications of the glyphosate categorization.
At the workshop, staff will propose more restrictive use of glyphosate for public safety and protected habitat over the next year. No glyphosate will be used in County regional parks or around County buildings.
Wildfire remains one of Marin’s biggest threats to human and plant life, especially in the midst of a severe drought. Weed infestation, mostly in the form of french broom and scotch broom, defeats the effectiveness of established fuel breaks. Controlled-burn fires, weed-whip cutting and hand weeding are among the many methods used to eliminate non-native vegetation. When other control methods are not possible, glyphosate would be used as a last resort.
The workshop will take place in the Board chamber, Suite 330 of the Civic Center, at 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. Printed materials will be available for visitors at the workshop and published on www.marincounty.org following the meeting.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.