Bring an end to the practice of repetitive and costly application of pesticides, including herbicides, to public lawns, parks and playing fields. We, the undersigned ask you to legislate for safer alternatives to the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on public lands.
Why is this important?
Marblehead, Mass., made U.S. history more than a decade ago by becoming the first town to ban lawn and garden pesticide use on public property. We would like to see Door County do the same at all levels, in schools, towns and county government bylaws.
According to a Yale University study, children who live in homes where lawn and garden pesticides are used are up to four times more likely to develop leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Lawn and garden chemicals are more dangerous to children than adults because their immune systems have not yet fully developed to protect their bodies from the toxins found in pesticides and herbicides (anything with the word -icide at the end, by the way, is chemically designed to kill living things). And yet, at the age when they’re most susceptible to health risks, children are out in yards and parks in more direct contact with lawn and garden chemical residues than adults. Pets are also highly at risk.
The entire nation of Canada, and two U.S. states, Connecticut and New York, have enacted laws that just say no to toxins like Weed 'n Feed, Roundup and Sevin in parks and on playing fields used by kids. Connecticut has taken the bold step of removing them from all school grounds in grades K-8. We ask you to do the same!
