Voluntary Turf IPM Accreditation:

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Voluntary Turf IPM Accreditation

• An Alternative to Municipal Pesticide Bans in
  Ontario, Canada

Pam Charbonneau Turfgrass Specialist
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Trying to avoid this
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History of Pesticide Bans

• 1993 Town of Hudson (suburb of Montreal), Quebec
  banned the use of pesticides on public and
  private green spaces - home lawns, trees and
  shrubs
• no lawn care pesticide applications
• no home owner applied pesticide applications
• golf courses, forestry and agriculture are
  exempt
  

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History of Pesticide Bans

• Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2000 - 4 year phase out
  of all herbicides and fungicides on private
  properties within a radius of 50m of municipal
  and other designated public places (20 of
  private residential properties) on ornamental
  plants - lawns, trees and shrubs

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Current Halifax Situation

• Full implementation began on April 1, 2003
• Insect infestations have to be verified by a
  third party
  
• City issues a permit to apply turf, tree or shrub
  insecticide
  

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Current Halifax Situation

• permit process expected to cost the city
  350,000
  
• 4-5 enforcement officers
• endorses use of home remedies for pest control on
  lawns, trees and shrubs which arent subject to
  scrutiny for efficacy and safety
  
• golf courses are exempt

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Current Quebec Situation

• March 24, 2003 adopted new Pesticide Management
  Code
  
• pesticides are banned for use outside daycare
  centres immediately
  
• 23 active ingredients banned on private land by
  2005
  
• golf courses have to present a pesticide
  reduction plan
  
• fines range from 500 - 30,000

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Ontario Situation

• 2002 survey - 42 municipalities considering a
  pesticide ban on private lawns
  
• One municipality already has a by-law that came
  into effect in Nov. 2002 - Town of Cobalt
  

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Highlights from the Town of Cobalt

• Prohibits use of pesticides everywhere
• a farmer using pesticides must register in
  writing in March of each year the products which
  he stores and which he will be using during that
  year
• and also provide in writing the schedule of
  application of pesticides and where they will be
  applied

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Ontario Solution?

• Turf industry became pro-active
• formed the IPM Council (includes all
  stakeholders)
  
• develop an alternative to pesticide bans
• encourage lawn care and golf course industry to
  adopt a strict IPM approach
  
• done through voluntary IPM accreditation
• hope is to avoid bans

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IPM Council of Ontario Formed-2002
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Why IPM Accreditation?

• IPM Council has proposed this as an alternative
  to pesticide bans in municipalities in Ontario
  
• Has to be a rigorous and credible program to
  appease environmentalists
  
• Municipalities that are considering voluntary IPM
  accreditation may make it mandatory with their
  municipality

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Why IPM Accreditation?

• May allow only IPM accredited lawn care companies
  to conduct business within the municipality
  
• May specify that all golf courses within the
  municipality be IPM accredited
  
• This is serious stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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IPM Program Components

• IPM examination
• CECs
• Desk Review Audit
• On-site Audit

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IPM Accreditation Program

• Up and running March 2003
• recognizes lawn care companies, park systems,
  golf courses and golf superintendents
  
• IPM agent is designated person from each company
  or organization responsible for insuring IPM is
  followed
  
• person who writes exam and maintains CECs

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IPM Accreditation Program

• IPM Accreditation program is administered by
  Ridgetown College of University of Guelph
  
• responsible for delivery of IPM program on behalf
  of IPM Council
  
• administer exams, track CECs, keep track of
  audits

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IPM Exam

• The agent must demonstrate his/her knowledge in
  IPM
  
• 90 minute exam (closed book)
• 80 questions
• must get 75
• only have to write it once
• Ridgetown will offer exam every 60 days in each
  region of the province
  

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Continuing Education Credits

• Agents must maintain and upgrade their knowledge
  of IPM
  
• must obtain 8 CECs in IPM annually
• 1 CEC is based on 45 minute contact time at an
  IPM related seminar
  
• if unable to get 8 CECs can write an IPM exam
  each year
  
• CEC committee of IPM Council determines CECs for
  seminars

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Program Components (cont.)

• Desk Review Audit
• annual must verify compliance with pesticide
  reduction, employee IPM training, customer
  education and IPM mass marketing materials
  
• On-site Audit
• all IPM accredited companies/golf courses/parks
  must submit to an on-site audit once every three
  years conducted by a Certified Environmental
  Auditor

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Desk Review Audit

• Frequency -annually
• must verify compliance with pesticide reduction
  target (50)
  
• verify employee IPM training
• verify customer education
• verify IPM mass marketing materials
• supervised or approved by CEA

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On-site Audit

• Companies and organizations must submit to an
  on-site audit
  
• once every three years
• conducted by a Certified Environmental Auditor
  through CEAA
  

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Accreditation process
Register, Pay Fees
Obtain CECs
Obtain study material
Write exam
Submit desk audit
On-site audit w/I 3 years
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Desk Audit Criteria

• Pesticide usage records
• total area of turf maintained for the previous
  season
  
• area based on area of turf that received
  treatments including
  
• fertilization
• aeration, pesticide applications or
• renovations

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Desk Review Audit

• Total AI used per unit area
• must show a 50 reduction from a baseline
• baseline - takes label rates for all possible
  pests
  
• ai for 2 broadcast 3 way mix applications
• ai for 1 broadcast Merit application
• ai for 2 broadcast curative insecticide app.
• ai for 1 broadcast crabgrass prevention
• total allowable active ingredient 1098.35
  grams/100 sq. m

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Desk Audit Criteria

• List of all pesticide products used for the
  calendar year
  
• product names and PCP numbers must be listed
• Total amount of pesticide product used
• beginning inventory purchases - ending
  inventory total use

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Pesticide Usage records

• Herbicide usage separated by target pest
• Insecticide usage separated by target pest
• Approved Pesticide Recording Form

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IPM Training Documentation

• Must list employee names, position held and
  training dates and subjects covered
  
• field trips with supervisors hands on training
  qualifies
  
• supervisors must list the topics covered and the
  employee must sign off

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Customer Education Material

• Copies of leave behind materials must be
  submitted
  
• must instruct homeowners on proper mowing (height
  and frequency), watering and cultural practices
  such as core aeration
  
• Examples of lawn analysis forms must be
  submitted
  
• must cover pests found and treated for

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Mass Marketing Material

• Must submit examples of brochures distributed by
  mail
  
• must show IPM based treatments and preventative
  grub control qualifying statements (ie. only
  applied in areas where grubs have been a problem
  historically)
• Telemarketing scripts must be submitted. Can not
  sell specific pesticide applications without
  first examining the lawn

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On-site Audit

• Purpose is to verify compliance through an
  inspection of the desk audit submissions
  
• verification of staff training records
• staff members chosen at random will be required
  to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in IPM

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On-site Audit (cont.)

• Verification of IPM systems delivery
• customer records
• equipment use and equipment calibration
• integration of IPM and service offerings
• Once every three years
• there will be a risk ranking
• Company or golf course given 8 weeks notice
• Half day audit

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CEC Opportunities

• IPM Council CEC committee will assign CECs to
  seminars
  
• CECs for upcoming events will be posted on the
  Landscape Ontario web site
  
• Conferences must submit conference programs and
  speaker bios to have CECs assigned to their
  conferences

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Obtaining CECs

• 1 CEC is 45 minutes of contact time in a seminar
• Types of conference that qualify
• OTS, CGSA, GTI Field Day, LO IPM Symposium, Turf
  Managers Short Course, ISA Conference , Landscape
  Ontario Congress, GCSAA seminars, etc.
  
• Agent must submit CEC reporting form to Ridgetown
  College annually

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CECs

• 8 CECs must be obtained per calendar year (Jan.
  1- Dec. 31)
  
• If cant obtain CECs can rewrite an IPM exam

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Golf Course IPM Accreditation
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Golf Course Voluntary IPM Accreditation

• Currently being rolled out by OGSA
• Differences
• Superintendent will obtain accreditation
• write golf course IPM exam and fulfill CEC
  requirement
  
• Golf course facility will also become accredited
  with the desk audit and on-site audit
  

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GC Voluntary IPM Accreditation

• If an accredited superintendent moves - he/she
  keeps accreditation but must insure that the golf
  course they moved to becomes accredited
  
• If a non- accredited superintendent moves to an
  accredited golf course - he/she has 6 months to
  become accredited (ie. write the IPM exam)

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Golf Course Specific Components

• IPM accredited golf courses must monitor
  regularly and maintain a record of observations a
  minimum of once a week from course opening to
  course closing
• Follow an IPM Code of Practice
• No specific pesticide reduction targets

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Golf IPM Code of Practice

• Focus on cultural practices to prevent pest
  problems and maintain healthy turf
  
• Educate golfers on the importance of cultural
  practices
  
• Monitor property for pest infestations at regular
  intervals and maintain a log
  
• Document pesticide use and pesticide alternatives

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Golf IPM Code of Practice

• Use pesticides only after examination and
  diagnosis
  
• Only apply properly timed treatments
• Utilize spot treatments
• Implement staff IPM training
• Establish buffer zones around sensitive areas

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Selling Voluntary IPM Accreditation

• Turf industry representatives have a web site
  that tracks hot spots for municipal pesticide
  bans
  
• also have an email list serve to communicate
  issues eco_at_landscapeontario.com
  
• show up on mass at municipal council meetings
• all have the same message

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Future of IPM Accreditation

• Hope that it is adopted by municipalities instead
  of pesticide bans
  
• For more information contact Ken Pavely, IPM
  Coordinator at Landscape Ontario
  
• kpavely_at_sympatico.ca or
• www.planthealthcare.ca
• www.landscapeontario.com under lawn care button