Implementing changes that matter is rarely easy. People can be difficult to please. That’s why when people go for it, implementing significant changes for the good, we simply must applaud them. Today we’re applauding the town of Camden, Maine. To make a longer story short, the town has banned, barring emergencies, the use of pesticides on all public lands. They didn’t have a big dependence on sprays, according to one news report, but they did suspend any limited applications that were present.
Color us impressed. It’s so good to see this sort of thing happening. Though it’s not as good as it could be. We first heard about this from one of our customers. They were under the impression that this newly adopted policy, extended to all residents, prohibiting them from applying lawn chemicals to turf. That’s not the case, though. The official policy (PDF, get Adobe Reader) only suggests the latter. But it should be. Be biggest tragedy is the use of chemicals on lawns (to make them green and perfect) by the residential sector. That needs to stop immediately — it’s ludicrous.
Camden’s policy, though, is still a grand step in the right direction. Why? As the town puts it:
All pesticides are toxic to some degree and the widespread use of pesticide is both a major environmental problem and a public health issue.
We recognize that it is in the best interest of public health to eliminate the use of pesticides on town-owned land, to encourage reduction and elimination of pesticide use on private property, and to introduce cultural and management practices to prevent, and when necessary, address pest problems on town-owned land. — Camden, Maine Leadership
Camden’s not alone in this, there are others. According to this Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog article, these towns are also in the process of implementing similar policies or have already.
Early implementors, we salute you. Keep up the good work. For others, it’s time to make a stand. To everyone, including you, dear reader, contact your town, city, country, or state government, show them this article. Ask that they, too, work on similar policy. If this were to catch on there would be a reduction of millions of pounds of municipally-applied pesticides around the country. Moreover, with that type of leadership there will surely be inspired reductions on private property in affected locales as well.
Who’s next to adopt Green Methods? Let it be your place.
