{"id":32987,"date":"2023-06-01T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T04:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=32987"},"modified":"2023-06-01T00:21:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T04:21:18","slug":"new-york-city-parks-department-and-advocates-announce-organic-demonstration-sites-following-passage-of-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2023\/06\/new-york-city-parks-department-and-advocates-announce-organic-demonstration-sites-following-passage-of-law\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City Parks Dept. and Advocates Announce Organic Demonstration Sites Following Passage of Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

(<\/span>Beyond Pesticides,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>June 1, 2023)<\/span> Eco-Friendly Parks for All (EFPA)*<\/span><\/b>, a partnership of environmental, public health and political action organizations, has teamed up with Beyond Pesticides, New York City Parks and Recreation Department, and Stonyfield Organic Yogurt to celebrate the success of pilot organic land management programs at eight sites across the five boroughs. The demonstration programs**, directed by Beyond Pesticides board member and nationally recognized natural turf expert <\/span>Chip Osborne<\/span>, were initiated by the coalition after the city council adopted new legislation on Earth Day in 2021 prohibiting the use of chemical pesticides on all New York City parks. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to be working with the City of New York on organic land management practices that protect community health and the environment, and support efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity decline,\u201d said <\/span>Jay Feldman<\/span><\/b>, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides.<\/span><\/b> \u201cOrganic practices such as those being used in these demonstration sites eliminate fossil fuel petroleum-based products and sequester atmospheric carbon in the soil, combating the climate crisis. It’s a win for the city, the public and the environment.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new law\u00a0<\/span>Intro 1524<\/span><\/a>, required to be fully implemented by\u00a0the fall of 2022, restricts pest management products to those compatible with organic systems, which eliminates synthetic weed killers like <\/span>glyphosate (Roundup)<\/span><\/a>, tied to cancer by the World Health Organization, and <\/span>bee-toxic insecticides like neonicotinoids<\/span>, which have been prohibited by many communities and countries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The demonstration sites are part of Beyond Pesticides\u2019 nationwide\u00a0<\/span>Parks for a Sustainable Future program,<\/span><\/a> with the long-term goal of\u00a0adopt organic practices that rely on methods and products that support soil biology and soil health, while beautifying parks\u00a0and playing fields by strengthening the grass plants to be better able to stand up to the stress associated with use.\u00a0In New York City, the program also features the use of compost from the city’s Sanitation Department, which can provide valuable nutrients to park grounds and reduce the cost of fertilizer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nJoin the press conference held today, June 1, 2023, on the baseball field at Morningside Park in Harlem at 11 AM EDT<\/strong> (Manhattan Ave and W 112 St). [<\/span>Flyer<\/span><\/a>]\u00a0Beyond Pesticides will be there as an exhibitor to celebrate pesticide-free park management and demonstrate how organic techniques can work in NYC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few words from EFPA members and stakeholders:<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n