Comments on: Pesticides – Problems and Solutions https://midriograndetimes.org/2021/6-1-pesticides/ A monthly resource encouraging stewardship of our watershed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:44:57 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Anita Amstutza https://midriograndetimes.org/2021/6-1-pesticides/#comment-18 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 18:30:38 +0000 http://midriograndetimes.org/?p=90#comment-18 In reply to Esther.

No they haven’t, Esther. Bernalillo County is the only one so far. As the person who spear headed the Burque Bee City designation, I can report on what we are doing:

We just completed a pesticide in-service with the departments of CABQ, which oversee all public spaces.
Parks and Rec
Solid Waste
Environmental Health.

All are doing things below the radar to cut/reduce usage. Parks and Rec has cut their use of glyphosate almost in half. Solid Waste, I’m not so sure. I need to follow up on them. They couldn’t didn’t offer to report anything about their pesticide use when we opened up the meeting to Q&A.
Enviro Health has an amazing team committed to biology and they are also really remediating their programs to be pollinator friendly.

All this to say, that the city is working on reducing glyphosate per Burque Bee City. The biggest problem sprayer for public space would be the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District since they oversee ditches and along the Bosque. They do not answer to Burque Bee City, though, as a regional agency. I’ve met with Mike Haman and Yasmeen, their main biologist multiple times. They are receptive, but changing the spray culture isn’t easy. Clearly the City says, we need to address consumer practices. Some of the biggest culprits are backyard sprayers. The big box stores are loaded with glyphosate.

Think Like a Bee has done public announcements, radio and t.v. spots for years asking the public not to spray and consider alternatives. So, you could begin with your neighborhood association, educating them about Burque Bee City, pollinators and pesticides. You could invite the neighborhood assoc. to work with parks and rec and solid waste, requesting them not to spray. P&R are willing to not spray if the neighborhood says “we will pull weeds mechanically/by hand and take care of our own zone”. They are already doing this with some neighborhoods.

Hope this helps. Here’s a few websites: https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/open-space/bee-city-usa
https://thinklikeabee.org

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By: Esther https://midriograndetimes.org/2021/6-1-pesticides/#comment-16 Sat, 05 Jun 2021 23:22:27 +0000 http://midriograndetimes.org/?p=90#comment-16 Hi. There is an organization that fights against the use of glyphosate in public areas. Check-out Non Toxic Communities (http://www.nontoxiccommunities.com/). They have had some remarkable victories in school districts, in cities large and small, and in counties. Do you know if Albuquerque or other Rio Grande cities have banned the use of glyphosate in public areas?

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