HomeMy WebLinkAbout1159 - CONCERNING USE OF NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDESRESOLUTION NO. 1159
A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOID
PRESTICIDES ON CITY OF BOULDER PROPERTIES
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WHEREAS, neonicotinoids, one of the most widely used classes of insecticides, are
systemic, persistent neurotoxins that translocate throughout all parts of plants, including leaves,
guttation fluids pollen and nectar; and
WHEREAS, a large and growing body of independent, peer- reviewed scientific studies
demonstrate that neonicotinoids adversely impact beneficial soil invertebrates, avian and aquatic
organisms, contaminate water resources and soils, and contaminate the pollen and nectar that is
gathered by pollinators; and
WHEREAS, studies have shown that neonicotinoids are endangering pollinators through
acute poisonings as well as through chronic sublethal exposures, which can weaken immune
defenses, causing increased susceptibility to natural stressors such as parasites, pathogens
( bacterial, viral and fungal diseases), and poor nutrition due to habitat loss and industrial
agricultural systems, and studies have shown other adverse effects associated with
neonicotinoids, including delays in larval development, decreases in queen survival and negative
effects on feeding, navigational and reproductive behaviors; and
WHEREAS, the loss of pollinators is alarmingly high, with commercial honeybee
colonies experiencing as much as 50 percent over - winter losses each year since 2006, and with a
dramatic decline in populations of wild bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators, as well as
invertebrates in soil and water systems; and
WHEREAS, threats to pollinators concern the entire food system, where pollination
services provided by honeybees and other essential pollinators account for one in every three
bites of food and are valued at $20 to $30 billion in agricultural production annually in the
United States; and
WHEREAS, municipal, residential and commercial use of neonicotinoid and other
systemic pesticides on home gardens, public parks, school grounds and other local and municipal
areas pose unacceptable risks to bees, other pollinators and aquatic invertebrates, and
furthermore their introduction into the environment is often unintentional and/or inadvertent,
since labeling is not required for treated nursery materials; and
WHEREAS, this same municipal, residential and commercial use of neonicotinoid and
other systemic pesticides on home gardens, public parks, school grounds and other local and
municipal areas may pose health risks to human residents; and
WHEREAS, the use of hazardous and persistent pesticides, including systemic
neonicotinoids, is not necessary to create and maintain green lawns and landscapes, home and
public gardens and open spaces, given the availability of viable alternative practices and
products; and
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WHEREAS, responding to scientific studies and finding that neonicotinoids pose
unacceptable hazards to pollinators, the European Union in 2013 instituted a two -year moratorium on
some uses of neonicotinoids, while US cities and counties, including Eugene, OR, Thurston County,
Spokane and Seattle, WA, Shorewood and St. Louis Park, MN and Portland, OR have instituted
resolutions and/or bans against municipal use of neonicotinoids, while the US Fish and Wildlife
Service has banned the use of neonicotinoids on all 150 million acres of its National Wildlife Refuge
System; and
WHEREAS, two neighborhoods, two churches and over 500 households in the City of
Boulder and Boulder County have already demonstrated the feasibility of neighbors coming
together to improve the habitat of bees and other pollinators; and
WHEREAS, in response to local citizen lobbying, nineteen retailers in both the City of
Boulder and Boulder County have already pledged to offer and label Bee We garden products,
ranging from organic pesticides and fertilizers to neonic -free plants and landscaping materials,
and eleven lawn care and landscaping companies have already pledged to provide Bee Safe lawn
care and landscaping services;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF BOULDER,.COLORADO, THAT:
1. That the city will not apply neonicotinoid- active ingredients for any purpose on its
city- managed parks, playing fields, rights of way, along watersheds and ditches, open space
Lands, public trees and landscapes or in its buildings or other areas under its ownership and
jurisdiction, with exceptions only being allowed under a rigorous and transparent exemption
process for the application of neonicotinoids for the purposes of (1) a well - defined research
study; or (2) when the life or health of a valuable or significant tree is threatened and
neonicotinoid application is the least environmentally impactful option.
2. That the city hereby urges all related parties, both public and private, at the
county, state and federal levels to suspend neonicotinoids for use in seed treatment, soil
application or foliar treatment on bee attractive plants, trees and cereals in urban and agricultural
settings, unless a thorough scientific, legal and regulatory review of their impacts on honeybees,
other pollinators, natural enemies and non - target organisms, which includes the full body of
peer- reviewed literature, is completed and a public health and environmental assessment can
prove their safety.
3. That the city will seek to purchase landscaping materials, including plants and
seeds, that have not been treated with neonicotinoids and hereby urges all businesses,
homeowners and HOAs operating within the city to take steps to ensure no plants, seeds or
products containing neonicotinoids are purchased, sold or used within the city to clearly and
accurately label any plants or materials that contain neonicotinoids, or that have been treated
with neonicotinoids.
4. That the city recognizes the importance of pollinators and their services, and will
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support and actively engage in efforts to educate the broader community about the actions it is
taking; and, furthermore, the city will encourage other entities, businesses, schools,
neighborhoods and households, and also the county, state and the federal governments to adopt
similar policies.
APPROVED this 5' day of May, 2015
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Mayor X —`�