The organic parks program could face major changes next year, as it comes to the end of its three-year pilot program.
There are eight parks managed without herbicides, but weeds are spreading through these parks like a cancer, Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz told Durango City Council on Friday.
She asked the board to consider dropping six parks and leaving only Pioneer and Schneider parks in the program to give residents two organic options. She picked those two parks as organic options because they don’t get as much use as the others but they have amenities the public would enjoy.
The parks that see intense use, such as those with sports fields, have not responded well to organic treatment, she said.
“The longer the parks stay in the program, the more likely it is we are going to have to go in and rescue them,” she said.
At the same time, advocates with Organic Parks Durango would like to see five parks added to the organic parks program, Katrina Blair told the council at a recent meeting. She recommended the council consider parks near the Animas River to prevent herbicides from draining into the river.
The councilors were unable to reach consensus, so they set the issue aside for later budget talks.
Keeping the parks in the program could cost an additional $22,545, but it was safety, rather than cost, that split the councilors.
Herbicides have health impacts, and the city should give residents areas free of those chemicals for recreation, said Councilor Dick White.
“I think the concern of our community is well-founded,” he said.
However, Councilor Sweetie Marbury argued that fields with bare spots, especially at the Needham Elementary School field, also pose a problem.
“It’s not safe for those kids to run on,” she said.
Weeds with broad leaves can create a hazard because they catch water and they are not ideal for sports, Metz said in an interview.
One solution could be to use a blend of conventional and organic techniques, Metz said.
“We know the organic program cannot control weeds,” she said.
The percentage of weeds in the parks has exceeded the 5 percent standard that the city maintains.
Mayor Christina Rinderle argued the standard is arbitrary, and there may be a different standard that could be applied.
The councilors asked Metz for more information before they make a decision. White asked for information about the quality of the soil because conventional techniques kill the organisms in the soil and create a constant need for treatments.
“It’s really just planned obsolescence,” White said.
The city was piloting the organic park program for three years, but it may take longer than that for the health of the parks to improve, White said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
Durango’s organic parks
Fanto Park, 445 East Seventh Ave.
Needham Elementary School Park, 2455 West Third Ave.
Brookside Park, 2301 Main Ave.
Pioneer Park, 261 East 37th St.
Riverfront and Iris parks (adjacent), 1295 – 1235 Camino del Rio
Schneider Park, 950 Roosa Ave.
Folsom Park, 11 Folsom Place
