Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs
Parks • Landscape • Facilities
Agricultural and School IPM: You can learn more about agricultural IPM principles and practices through the County of Marin's Agricultural IPM Program. You can learn more about School IPM principles and practices through The County of Marin's Schools IPM Program.
Marin County departments have an important role in minimizing pollutants at county facilities. The county's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program helps reduce pesticide use and protect the health of the public and environment. Marin County Parks is responsible for managing the IPM program.
The Marin County IPM Program has received several awards, as well as recognition from several sources. These are displayed on the Awards and Recognition Page.
Raptors Are The Solution (RATS) is a broad, national alliance of individuals, non-profits, local governments, and others concerned about the ecological impacts of anticoagulant rodenticides. In April 2013, they posted a video about rodenticides, which highlights the dangerous impacts of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides on children, pets, and wildlife. In May 2012, the Marin County Board of Supervisors passed a related resolution opposing the sale and purchase of rat and mouse poisons deemed an unreasonable risk to children, pets and wildlife.
In 2011 the Marin County IPM program received a state IPM Innovator Award from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. The following is a video that the Department of Pesticide Regulation recently released about the award:
IPM is a decision-making process for managing pests, which uses pest monitoring to determine if pest injury levels warrant treatment. If so, the treatment combines biological, cultural, mechanical, physical and/or chemical tools and other management practices to control pests in a safe, cost effective and environmentally sound manner that contributes to the protection of public health. This method uses extensive knowledge about pests, such as infestations, thresholds, life histories, environmental requirements and natural enemies to complement and facilitate biological and other natural control of pests. IPM involves the use of non-chemical pest control methods and the careful use of least-toxic chemical methods when non-chemical methods have been exhausted or are not feasible. When IPM is properly implemented, chemical controls are used only as a last resort. They are used as spot treatments and are chosen and timed to have the smallest negative impact on non-target organisms and the environment.
We are working to promote IPM principles in the following areas:
County Parks, Landscape, and Facilities: Successful implementation of IPM programs by County departments (as outlined in the County IPM Ordinance (#3521) and IPM Policy, which is overseen by the IPM Commission) has resulted in significant reduction in pesticide use. For example, the Marin County Civic Center cafeteria has eliminated liquid and aerosol pesticides; they now rely on reduced-risk products such as baits and traps and perform routine pest monitoring to prevent pest problems in the food service areas.
