This post was edited to add 5th Street medians.

Proposed Dates of Use: As conditions and time permit February 13-March 15, 2023. See locations below:
Mace Boulevard/Covell Boulevard – February 13-17
Estimated to move onto Alhambra Drive/5th Street – February 21-24
Estimated to move onto Pole Line Road – February 27-February 28
Estimated to move onto Russell Boulevard - March 1-3
Estimated to move onto Shasta Drive -  March 6-9
Estimated to move onto Danbury Street – March 10-13
Estimated to move onto F Street – March 14-15

Applications will occur during working hours; schedule is dependent on wind and weather conditions staying within acceptable parameters.   

Detailed Location of Application Site: Street medians clear of pedestrian traffic listed above. No applications will be in the vicinity of playgrounds, schools, or picnic areas.

Posting and Notification: Site notifications will be posted at least 72 hours before application via the pesticide application electronic notification system and at site entrances, remaining 24 hours after.

Pesticide Products: Cheetah Pro (Glufosinate Ammonium)

EPA Reg #: No. 70506-310 / 228-743
Pesticide Type: Herbicide
City Use Type: Tier 3, Less hazardous, Least restrictive

Target Pests: Various broadleaf weeds and annual grasses.

Justification for Use: It is the only reliable method to keep the identified areas safe and free of vegetation.  The medians are decomposed granite or compacted dirt and they can become overgrown with vegetation during the wet season due to regular inputs of new seed from natural causes and other management activities. Mechanical controls (ex. string trimmers, steaming, mowing, and hand pulling) are not reliable ways to manage the vegetation in these specific areas because they do not kill the plants and actually promote new growth on the grasses.  It is also hard on equipment and operators to mow/trim over gravel because the small rocks are thrown around. Cultural controls (ex. landscape fabric, direct irrigation) have been extensively utilized.

It is important to note that as weeds are trimmed, their seeded remains are spread throughout the area.  Even when they are cleared by raking, the seeds remain embedded in the soils.  Mulch provides a protective layer and moisture that enables germination of the newly spread seeds, and this creates a larger area of weed material in the planters.  Steaming was tested as a less hazardous alternative to string trimming, but regrowth and new growth were observed within weeks post treatment. Additionally, steaming requires the closure of a traffic lane to accommodate equipment which increases resource demands and associated costs. This proposed application is part of overall integrated pest management of the sites.  City staff currently employ almost exclusively non-chemical control measures at the majority of City rights-of-way including mowing, trimming, hoeing and hand pulling where and when appropriate.

Lifeline herbicide is considered a least-toxic alternative to the use of glyphosate or a similar chemical that would typically be recommended for this application. The primary strategy to prevent future herbicide applications is to manage the emerging vegetation with well-timed herbicide applications, thus preventing seed-set and reducing future infestation of the areas.  This will be hard to do and may require at least one annual Lifeline application each year.  Options such as hardscaping are being explored in certain areas, but this will not be suitable for all applications.