Public parks and other "high-impact" public green spaces in Mancos are going organic after the Mancos Town Board last week passed an all-natural maintenance plan.
The plan entails curbing the use of chemical pesticides on parks and public green spaces where children and pets visit. The largest area going organic this year is 6.2-acre Boyle Park.
Areas such as the skate park, GMC corner park, Pioneer Plaza, Mesa Street Bridge green area and the library, Creekside greenway, and Creekside walking path are on the list for organic weed management. The 13.6-acre Cottonwood Park is to be added to the organic plan next year.
"Low-impact" intersections on U.S. 160 are listed for organic maintenance and turf spray.
"To the largest extent possible, we'll try to use mechanical, cultural and other means before using chemicals," said Town Administrator Andrea Phillips. "If we have to use chemicals, we're going to try to use them in what we call 'low-impact areas,' or areas where there wouldn't be any children or pets. We're proposing that Boyle would be a 'high-impact' area, so we would try to essentially try to eradicate the use of chemicals there."
The plan also entails buying signs for organically maintained areas with "pesticide-free" labels and adding a seasonal worker to pull weeds.
Adequate funds have been set aside in the Conservation Trust Fund for Boyle Park maintenance, which will be used to cover the plan's estimated cost of $10,650 to $11,650. It's recommended to allocate $4,000 of that for the salary of the seasoner weed puller; $3,000 for Boyle Park turf maintenance (including field-top dressing, leveling and aeration); $1,600 to $2,600 for organic fertilizer; $250 for signage; and $900 for spot treatment for low-impact areas.
The board will reassess the organic program in the fall to determine if it will continue next summer.