A compromise to keep more parks organic in Durango was proposed Tuesday during a Durango City Council meeting.
The city was considering a proposal from staff members to take six of eight parks out of the organic management program.
Under the new proposal, the city would keep five parks – Brookside, Pioneer, Riverfront, Iris and Schneider – in the organic program.
Folsom, Needham and Fanto parks would transition to conventional herbicide management next year because they are heavily used, Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said.
Parks heavily used by team sports have not responded as well to organic management. The grass does not grow as fast, and it leaves bare spots, which creates a safety issue for players.
“We believe the best approach is to have choices for our community,” she said.
The proposal was presented after about an hour-and-half of impassioned speeches from residents. The councilors did not make a decision on the new proposal. Instead, they will take up the organic parks issue next Monday.
Councilor Dick White said there are grounds for going forward with the organic parks program because herbicides are toxins that are fully understood.
“The issue is really the much more subtle and difficult problem of low-dose exposure over long periods of time,” he said.
Many residents advocated for organic management of parks to protect public health and the health of pollinators, including bees.
Nancy Robinson,who lives near Rank Park, is an asthmatic, and she experiences health issues whenever it is sprayed.
“It’s not fair to me or not fair to anyone else that has problems with chemical exposure,” she said.
Amanda Kuenzi, the community science director with Mountain Studies Institute, asked the city to consider collecting more empirical data about the organic parks program because some said the evaluation is based on how the parks look.
“This experiment hasn’t gone on long enough,” she said.
Many of the weeds such as clover can have positive effects on nitrogen, and they are not listed as noxious weeds by the state, she said.
Weed seeds can last for decades and organic management is a challenge, Mountain Studies Executive Director Marcie Bidwell said.
Water testing could also add to the understanding of herbicides in the community, she said.
“Science could add to our ability to have a good decision as a community,” she said.
Leland Flores spoke on behalf of Youth Baseball of Southwestern Colorado, and he has concerns about Folsom Park, which is currently in the organic program.
“I think the condition of the field is not what it could be,” he said.
The grass doesn’t come back properly, and it doesn’t kill the weeds that do come back with the use of organic management, he said. His group is not opposed to organic management in other parks, he said.
Resident Sheryl McGourty asked councilors to look for compromises that could be reached with local sports groups. She has been in touch with the Durango Youth Soccer Association, and she believes there is common ground that can be reached.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
