Panel Discussion: Innovations in IPM; State/Local Efforts to Promote Reduced Risk

Encouraging schools and local governments to use lower risk pesticides has stimulated innovative and diverse approaches in Texas, Colorado and California.  Texas public schools use a three-tiered (Green, Yellow, Red) system that mandates written justification and stricter posting requirements for all but the lowest risk (Green) pesticides.  In Boulder, Colorado, city staff may only use pesticide products from the approved pesticide list and the city IPM policy requires cultural, mechanical or biological controls be considered before using pesticides. San Francisco reduced pesticide use by 80% through a combination of IPM actions and a regularly updated approved pesticide list.  San Francisco has also launched related projects such as its “Don’t Take the Bait” campaign, which focuses on discontinuing the sale of high-risk rodenticides, and its national “Pest Prevention By Design Guidelines” project. The merits and limitations of these and alternative approaches will be discussed.”