Proposed Dates of Use: As conditions and time permit from April 10 – 30, 2023.
Street Address/Site Name: North Davis Uplands, South Fork Preserve, Mace Ranch Park Passive Recreation Area, Woodbridge Natural Area
Detailed Location of Application Site: Along gravel paths, around seating areas and various infrastructure.
Posting and Notification: Site notifications will be posted at least 24 hours before application via the pesticide application electronic notification system and at site entrances, remaining 24 hours after.
Pesticide Products: Lifeline (Glufosinate Ammonium 24.5%) EPA Reg #: 70506-310 Pesticide Type: Herbicide City Use Type: Tier 3 hazard ranking- least restrictive
Target Pests: Various grasses and forbs in the identified areas.
Justification for Use: This herbicide use is justified because it is the only reliable method to keep the identified areas safe and free of vegetation. The walking paths in the habitat area are gravel over compacted dirt and they can become overgrown with vegetation during the wet season due to regular inputs of new seed from natural causes and our other management activities. Mowing or string trimming are not reliable ways to manage the vegetation in these specific areas because they leave 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.
This proposed application is part of our overall integrated pest management of the sites. City staff currently employs almost exclusively non-chemical control measures at the majority of the Open Space sites including mowing, trimming, hoeing, hand pulling and solarization. We found out last year solarization is not an effective method to control vegetation on the paths because the gravel interferes with the process of heating the soil.
The primary strategy to prevent future herbicide applications is to manage the emerging vegetation with herbicide, thus preventing seed-set and future infestation of the areas. This will be hard to do and may require at least one annual Lifeline application each year.
More information on the IPM Program, including the current Policies and Procedures guidance, can be found on the City's webpage: Integrated Pest Management
