Safe Public Places - Oregon's Integrated Pest Management Policy

Oregon Tilth is sharing a message from Winter Green Farm (certified organic since 1984) and Oregon Toxics Alliance (a partner environmental health organization) about Safe Public Places, a new initiative to promote an Integrated Pest Management Policy for Oregon’s state government. Oregon Tilth supports the initiative and wanted to spread the word to our network and invite your support.

Dear Organic Farmer and/or Consumer,

Winter Green Farm and Oregon Toxics Alliance have come together to ask you to endorse an Oregon project to reduce pesticide use on state property. Winter Green Farm has worked for over 30 years to grow clean, healthy organic food; Oregon Toxics Alliance is an environmental health organization who cares about human and environmental health. Decreasing the amount of pesticides in our environment is an issue that matters deeply to us both.

We are writing to share information on the Safe Public Places, a new initiative to promote an Integrated Pest Management Policy for Oregon’s state government buildings and grounds, state parks and state highways. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) gives essential guidelines to find alternatives to persistent, bio-accumulative pesticides while achieving effective structural pest and weed control.

Oregon has a history of supporting environmental protection programs. In fact, in 1991 Oregon was an early adopter of Integrated Pest Management, a proven method of managing pests while reducing reliance on pesticides.

However, the Oregon State IPM program was dropped in 2001. This left a policy gap, allowing state agencies to spray pesticides without guidelines to protect people, water, farms and the environment from exposure – other than "the label is the law." We ask you to join us to re-build Oregon’s State IPM requirement. Organic farmers have good reasons to support IPM policies because it is the most effective way to reduce chemical pollutants at the source. IPM policies can reduce the potential for pesticide drift from state highways and state forests onto organic farming operations, helping farmers achieve and maintain the organic standards they work hard for.

We’re hoping that organic farmers and consumers will join with Winter Green Farms, Oregon Toxics Alliance and sustainable businesses to promote Safe Public Places – IPM for State Agencies. The Lane County Medical Association, Willamette Farm and Food Coalition and a number of organic farms have already endorsed this campaign.

We ask you to support the Safe Public Places Project and these four goals:

1. Renew the Oregon Integrated Pest Management requirement (ORS 634.650) for state facilities;
2. Update its definition to reflect current scientific research and IPM protocols;
3. Establish a model policy with goal of reducing the use of pesticides on public property;
4. Generate a market for safer methods of pest management.

A grassroots coalition of organic farmers and consumers can be a powerful voice for a sensible pesticide reduction plan for public agencies.

Sincerely,

 
Download the sign up card (pdf)
http://www.oregontoxics.org/SafePublicPlaces.html