Apply Herbicides in Town Park - NO

Town Park is an important space in our community for both youth and adult recreation, and Corte Madera has a long history of hosting top-notch sports programs on the fields at Town Park. During the drought of 2019-2021, low precipitation and water restrictions mandated by Marin Municipal Water District resulted in damage to the grass fields. As the grass died, it created openings for invasive weeds to spread, impacting the playability of the fields.

In response, Town staff met with several turf specialists and contractors, who proposed using herbicides to treat the array of different weeds observed in the fields. I voted no on this plan, as I believe pesticides should always be a last resort, due to the hazard they pose to the children and families who use our parks, and to the sensitive wetland habitat that surrounds Town Park. Instead, we settled on a suite of nature-based solutions to control the weeds and restore the grass. I’m confident that this approach will be even more effective than herbicides in restoring the quality of our fields—without putting our children and our environment in danger.