Integrated Pest Management

The district offers many pesticide free areas

• All playgrounds
• Community Gardens
• Pollinator Gardens

BPRD supports efforts to keep pollinators healthy

• Neonicotinoids (Neonics) are not used on any district properties.
• Our buildings are managed for pests through a contracted vendor that only uses essential oils for pest management.
• Pollinator gardens are planted in various parks.

Weeds are controlled with manual hand pulling, string trimming and mechanical edging, mowing and spray applications. Spray applications include pesticides that are selective, non-selective and pre-emergence.

When it is necessary to use pesticides as part of IPM, staff minimizes risks by careful product selection and application. Thoughtful, timely and selective use of pesticides is just one tool of many used to maintain park lands. We also carefully consider community member input with regard to safety of park facilities, quality of the park user’s experience and service expectations.

Before applying a pesticide, the following factors are considered:

• Does the density of pest plants meet or exceed the threshold for treatment?
• Have non-pesticides options been considered and tried?
• Are appropriate cultural methods in place to ensure that the weed is not being promoted?
• Have we selected the least toxic pesticides to be effective, and are we applying at the lowest dose?

The use of Glyphosate is restricted and may be applied in specific areas when other control measures fail. Use is limited to tree wells, borders and fence lines. Playgrounds and community gardens are never sprayed with pesticides.

The district goes above and beyond requirements by training staff through the Oregon Department of Agriculture annually to the highest safety standards in using chemical pesticides. This is for the protection of park users and to the staff member working with the chemical. The district maintains an excellent safety record.

The department reviews pesticides use regularly and continually looks for safer alternative products and other cost-effective control measures. The Natural Resources and Landscape divisions are involved in training and education. Both departments are required to obtain credit hours each year to maintain their Oregon Public Applicators Licenses.

The district is under the authority of Deschutes County to control noxious weeds.  For more information about the county program: https://www.deschutes.org/road/page/noxious-weed-program

Noxious weeds can threaten the economy and environment of a region by:

• Outcompeting native species for water, sunlight, and soil nutrients;
• Converting a diverse plant community to a monoculture of weeds;
• Displacing habitat and food sources for insects and wildlife, including threatened or endangered species;
• Changing or reducing water availability;
• Causing erosion;
• Blocking water channels and creating flood hazards;
• Changing fire regimes – some weeds can increase the risk of wildfires;
• Competing for pollinators; and/or
• Inhibiting native species by releasing chemicals into the soil that prevent other plants from growing.

The district has made a commitment to restrict the use of Glyphosate and other chemicals. Staff use backpack sprayers for a variety of reasons. A spray backpack does not necessarily mean that pesticide is being applied in parks or on trails. In addition, other agencies (private and public) may have their own landscaping crews working near a park that can be perceived as district staff. District staff will always be in uniform with the district logo. Occasionally the district will work with contractors who must also adhere to the IPM program guidelines. Proper signage will be posted in the affected area if park maintenance is scheduled.

Community members can find a district maintenance schedule on this website. This schedule will inform the public of park maintenance schedule that will include all forms of maintenance to the park. This may or may not include the use of pesticides. Normal park maintenance does not typically include the use pesticides, but trained staff may determine the need on a limited basis. Staff will post signs in parks when necessary.

The IPM program also encompasses trails and natural areas. In the event that pesticide sprays are used in these areas, signs will be posted to inform the public. The duration of the sign posting is based upon the requirements of the product label.