City should stick with organic parks

The organic-land practices are successfully taking hold in the United States.

Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences offers an accredited course with Northeastern Organic Farming Association in organic land care, and Ohio State University is also offering the aforementioned program.

Chicago Parks District received the 2014 Golden Metal Award for Excellence, and 90 percent of its parks are managed organically without the use of herbicides and synthetic fertilizers.

Connecticut passed a law banning lawn-care pesticide (which includes fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) applications on grounds of day care centers, elementary and middle schools. Some Connecticut municipalities have gone beyond the law and have also stopped using pesticides to manage turf grass on all their city properties.

The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission helped fund the Toxic Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. It has extensively taught and advocated the need for the reduction of pesticides, including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides on public grounds.

This chemical-free, organic land-care issue is currently being debated in Colorado. Durango is the leading star! Let’s send courage to the Durango City Council members to hold firm on their Organic Lands Resolution commitment in 2012 and become the model of success for other states.

Don Gordon

Durango