Attachment_F_-_OC_Parks_IPM_Plan.pdf

OC PARKS

PURPOSE

To guide pest management strategies and implementation of control methods that protect OC Parks cultural and natural resources in perpetuity and enhance the health and safety of the public.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

Attachment F

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable, science-based decision-making process that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools to identify, manage and reduce risks from pests and pest management tools and strategies in a way that minimizes overall health, environmental and economic risks.

OC Parks IPM guiding principles include:

• Continuously evaluating and refining IPM best management practices.

• Fostering a safe and enjoyable park system while suppressing pest populations.

• Using the least toxic pest controls to protect the public from pests that pose a risk to health and safety.

• Limiting where non-organic pesticides may be used within OC Parks.

• Applying pesticide products in an isolated manner with an emphasis on exclusionary application techniques.

• Not using synthetic pesticides in areas accessible to the public (e.g., playgrounds, recreational turf fields, trails, parking lots).

• Not using anticoagulant rodenticides in any areas of the park system.

These principles are guided by local, state and federal laws and regulations, including those of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program and the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

OC PARKS IPM GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The following actions shall be taken when invasive pests are encountered at levels that pose a risk to the environment, public health, public safety, assets, infrastructure or economic impact:

• Properly identify and document pests of concern.

• The first line of defense shall be non-chemical pest control measures, including preventative, cultural, mechanical and biological controls.

• The second line of defense shall be organic pesticides.

• The third line of defense when other methods are known or proven to be ineffective or do not exist shall be least-toxic, non-organic pesticides.

PEST CONTROL STRATEGIES

Non-chemical control measures that may be used include:

Prevention

Good pest prevention practices are critical to the OC Parks IPM Plan and can be effective in reducing pest incidence. Numerous practices can be used to prevent pest population buildup, including the use of pest-resistant plant varieties, good sanitary practices such as keeping lids on trash cans, using weed seed-free soil, cleaning equipment, and proper plant culture.

Cultural Controls

Cultural controls are modifications of normal plant care activities that reduce or prevent pests. Methods include adjusting the frequency and amount of irrigation, fertilization and mowing height. For example, spider mite infestations are worse on water-stressed plants, succulent growth caused by over-fertilization may encourage aphids, and too low of a mowing height may thin turf and allow weeds to become established.

Mechanical Controls

Mechanical control tactics involve the use of manual labor, physical barriers, or machinery to reduce or eliminate pest problems. Examples include hand-pulling or hoeing weeds and applying mulch, using traps for rats and mice, using fencing around a sensitive site to keep unwanted animals out of an area and mowing invasive weeds before they flower to interrupt their reappearance from seeds the following year.

Biological Controls

Biological control practices use other living organisms to reduce pest populations.

Historically, they have been employed most successfully to suppress insects and mites. These organisms are often also referred to as beneficials, natural enemies or biocontrols. Biocontrols include pathogens, parasites, predators, competitive species and antagonistic organisms. Beneficial organisms can occur naturally or can be purchased and released. To conserve naturally occurring beneficials, broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided whenever possible.

Non-chemical control measures may be deployed concurrently to increase the effectiveness of suppressing recurring pests of concern.

NON-CHEMICAL CONTROLS

California Department of Pesticide Regulation registered pesticides are used only when preventative practices and non-chemical options are known or proven to be ineffective or do not exist.

Pesticides shall be applied in an isolated manner with the least amount of material applied that proves effective and in accordance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.

OC Parks implements a prioritized use approach when pesticides are needed. The first approach is using organic pesticides whose ingredients are derived from 100% naturally occurring substances.

OC Parks prioritized approach:

Park Areas and Trails – Accessible to the Public

1. Organic pesticides A. Shall be the option when pesticides are needed.

PESTICIDE CONTROLS

Wildland Habitat and Rights of Way Areas – Not Accessible to the Public Rights of Way Areas examples: Storm drain channels, dams, levees, swales, bioswales and utility infrastructure.

A. Shall be the first option considered when pesticides are needed.

2. EPA Category IV pesticides

A. Shall be used only if deemed necessary to protect the environment, public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or designee) when other methods are known or proven to be ineffective or do not exist.

3. EPA Category III pesticides public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or

4. EPA Category II pesticides public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or

5. EPA Category I pesticides public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or

Buildings, Trees and Lakes – Within All Park Areas public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or

Pests of Public Health and Safety Concern – Within All Park Areas

Examples include: Vectors of disease, biting/stinging insects, imported invasive tree pests, wood-destroying organisms and federal, state and county rated pests of significance.

public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or public health, public safety, assets, or infrastructure and minimize economic impact by a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator and the OC Parks IPM Coordinator (or

OC Parks approval procedures:

Pest Control Recommendations

1. The OC Parks Facility Supervisor/OC Parks Project Manager (in consultation with OC Parks IPM Coordinator [or designee] if desired) shall notify their contractor to have them produce a written Pest Control Recommendation from a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator for each pest control situation that requires a pesticide.

2. The Pest Control Recommendation shall be provided to the IPM Coordinator (or designee) and Facility Supervisor/Project Manager from the contractor. The IPM Coordinator (or designee) and Facility Supervisor/Project Manager shall review the Pest Control Recommendation.

3. The IPM Coordinator (or designee) will confirm the Pest Control Recommendation complies with the OC Parks IPM Plan and shall notify the Facility Supervisor/Project Manager of compliance.

4. The Facility Supervisor/Project Manager shall contact their contractor to plan the pest control treatment.

Pesticide Application Notices

1. The contractor shall complete and submit an OC Parks Pesticide Application Notice to the Facility Supervisor/Project Manager and IPM Coordinator (or designee) a minimum of five business days prior to a pesticide application.

2. The Facility Supervisor/Project Manager will review the Pesticide Application Notice for treatment necessity and confirmation that location/application dates do not conflict with park operations.

3. The IPM Coordinator (or designee) will confirm the Pesticide Application Notice complies with the OC Parks IPM Plan and shall notify the Facility Supervisor/Project Manager that the Pesticide Application Notice is approved.

4. The Facility Supervisor/Project Manager shall notify the contractor that the Pesticide Application Notice is approved and treatment may be implemented.

PESTICIDE APPROVALS

OC Parks application procedures:

1. Contractor shall follow all written Pest Control Recommendations as provided by the licensed Agricultural Pest Control Adviser or Structural Pest Control Operator.

2. For treatment sites accessible to the public, pesticide application signs shall be posted prior to application at official facility entrances if there are any nearby and in the immediate vicinity of the treatment site.

3. Contractor shall adhere to all directions listed on the pesticide label and keep a copy of the pesticide label onsite during applications.

4. Contractor shall apply the pesticide in the most targeted manner possible with the lowest required amount to achieve sufficient control.

5. Treatment sites shall be controlled by appropriate means until the restricted entry interval has passed as directed in the pesticide label.

6. Pesticide application signs shall be taken down when the treatment is complete, and the restricted entry interval has passed as directed in the product label.

PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS

Pesticides – Any substance intended to control, destroy, repel or attract a pest.

Organic Pesticides – Pesticides formulated with ingredients derived from natural sources such as botanical, mineral sources, etc. The EPA maintains a list of approved biopesticides which include naturally derived organic products.

Pesticide Toxicity Categories – Following acute toxicity studies, the EPA assigns a product a toxicity category (I-IV). The most severe classification out of these studies determines the product’s toxicity category: I-Danger, II-Warning, III-Caution, IV-No Signal word required.

Risks to Public Health and Public Safety – Examples include red imported fire ant colonies in playgrounds and sports fields, yellowjackets and Africanized bees near gazebos, mosquitoes with West Nile virus breeding in park lakes, compromised tree structures due to invasive shot hole borer in turf parks and flea infestations in occupied buildings.

Risks to Environment – Examples include invasive weeds such as stinkwort, artichoke thistle and arundo, which degrade native habitat, reduce biodiversity and ecosystem services, and increase fire fuel loads. Invasive insects such as invasive shot hole borer and goldspotted oak borer devastate native trees.

Risks to Critical Assets – Examples include termites compromising historic buildings, disease-carrying rodents infesting occupied buildings and burrowing rodents compromising the integrity of a dam or flood control channel.

Agricultural Pest Control Adviser – A person who is licensed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to offer recommendations on any agricultural use, holds himself/herself as an authority on any agricultural use, or solicits services or sales for any agricultural use (Food and Agricultural Code [FAC] sections 11410, 11411).

Structural Pest Control Operator – A person who is licensed by the California Structural Pest Control Board to secure structural pest control work, identify infestations or infections, make inspections, submit bids for or otherwise contract on behalf of a registered company.

DEFINITIONS