Municipal IPM Policy and Proclamation

Newton's Model Town IPM Policy and Proclamation

As part of Green Decade's 1997 TURN Project , the Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides, GreenCAP partnered with the Newton Board of Health, Parks and Recreation Department, Conservation Commission, and the Conservators to raise awareness about pesticide use in the town and to promote alternatives. As a result, Mayor Concannon and the Board of Alderman issued a Joint Proclamation [IPMProclamation] in February 1997 establishing March as Alternatives to Pesticides Month. The Proclamation recognized the hazards of pesticides, committed the city to pesticide use reduction efforts and urged Newton's citizens to take advantage of opportunities to learn about alternatives to pesticides.

GreenCAP also spoke to Newton's Landscape Maintenance Task Force regarding concerns about pesticide usage on town-owned land. Under the stewardship of Chairman Douglas Dickson, an IPM Committee was formed to draft Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines for the city's grounds and buildings which ultimately led to the development of the City-wide IPM policy announced by Mayor Concannon in September 1997.

What is IPM?
(excerpted from GreenDecade's Final TURN Report, 1997)

IPM is Toxics Use Reduction at its best. An IPM system prevents pollution at its source. IPM requires process modification including implementing a system of reducing or eliminating the use of chemicals by modifying the habitat, modifying maintenance practices, modifying user behavior, and, if all else fails, using pesticides as a last resort, and only within specific guidelines for least -toxic selection and use.

IPM means modernizing and upgrading equipment for example, influencing the Parks Department to require its landscape contractors to use adjustable mowers to mow high to encourage stronger turf instead of relying on chemicals, and promoting structural maintenance and repair.
IPM means promoting improved housekeeping practices, better sanitation and hygiene to change conditions that encourage pests. Click here for more information about IPM.