In response to the 3/14/05 article in the D & C; “Lawn sprays evoke passion”, I was disappointed with the lack of mentioning of how this proposal will (negatively) affect I.P. M. (Integrated Pest Management) practices for our county. I’d certainly expect that both sides of this issue would agree that IPM is the cornerstone of sound pest management of Monroe County’s turf & ornamentals. With I.P.M. the certified applicator assesses the site and only makes a pesticide application if deemed necessary and only to the targets where an infestation exceeds an acceptable level of damage allowed for that situation.
The foundation of this method is for the pest manager to make numerous scouting visits to a clients property and evaluate the necessity of making a application. Spot application for limited targets using controls designed to focus on the infestation and have limited impact on non target organisms (i.e., beneficial insects, desirable plants, etc.) This proposed law would make such a pest management strategy unworkable.
County legislators with integrity should know they have the responsibility to vote on this issue from an informed position. I’d invite them to contact our Monroe County Cooperative Extension (a knowledgeable but uninterested party on this issue) and inquire how this proposal will affect the future of I.P.M. practices in our county.
There are better directions we could & should be going on this issue. Lets make any proposal that is designed to better protect our environment and our neighbors, one that has some substance!

Thomas Ewart
Love Arboreal
Rochester
www.lovearboreal.com