In July 2023, the Senior Parks Representative reported to a resident that Monroe County had used no pesticides on any county parks or golf courses that year.  As residents of Monroe County, we would like to publicly express our appreciation of the Parks Department and petition the Monroe County Legislature to make it official County policy in  management of county lands, including all parks, golf courses and playing fields, to use well-established best practices of regenerative organic land management that aim to restore soil structure and fertility to better support a healthy ecosystem without the need for toxic inputs. For the health of county residents, it is critical that we immediately begin to reduce and eventually eliminate exposure to toxic residues.

The chemicals found in pesticides and herbicides are known to be harmful to human health -  especially for youth and unborn children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death.”Long-term exposure to pesticides has also been linked to cancer, asthma, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Beyond impacts on human health, the use of pesticides is also harmful to animals and insects such as pollinators. 

Finally, transitioning toward regenerative organic land use practices supports ecosystem restoration, as called for in the Monroe County Climate Action Plan  (p. 69).  

As the many signatures to this petition attest, there is public support for making this transition which will set an example for private landowners to emulate.

We celebrate the good work that is already being done, and ask that the County enlist in “Parks for a Sustainable Future,” a program of Beyond Pesticides which provides free of charge in-depth training to assist community land managers in this transition, and codify the adoption of best practices of regenerative organic land management, banning of the use of toxic chemicals on public lands to protect public health, support ecosystem restoration, and preserve the commonwealth of our parks and playing fields for everyone to enjoy for generations to come.