The Boise Parks and Recreation Department is moving forward with its multi-year pesticide reduction pilot program and is now gathering community feedback on potential park and facility locations for testing and research. The initial pilot sites suggested by our team meet a set of criteria needed to gather a variety of data on pesticide reduction tactics, study park maintenance impacts and monitor department resource management.
PILOT SITE CRITERIA
The department’s criteria for the inclusion of a pilot park or landscaped area includes:
- Locations must be reasonably close to maintenance facilities to promote implementation of new strategies and regular monitoring
- Sites should have diverse amenities to increase the potential for learning about how maintenance needs differ according to various uses
- Locations should be relatively small for ease of implementation and monitoring
- Sites should be distributed across the City of Boise
SITES UNDER CONSIDERATION
Park Sites:
- Ann Morrison Park Administration Building Landscaping (1104 Royal Blvd.)
- Bowden Park (3230 Edson St.)
- Comba Park (2995 N Five Mile Rd.)
- Elm Grove Park (2200 W. Irene St.)
- Fairview Park (2300 W. Idaho St.)
- Ivywild Park (2250 S. Leadville Ave.)
- Mariposa Park (9851 W. Irving St.)
- Memorial Park (900 N. 6th St.)
Other Locations:
- Bethine Church River Trail (East End)
- Garden Beds at Boise City Hall (150 N. Capitol Blvd.) and Fort Boise Community Center (700 Robbins Rd.)
- The Pioneer Pathway (Myrtle St. to Grand Ave.)
- Pollinator Gardens at Warm Springs Park (250 S. Marden St.) and Terry Day Park (1225 S. Federal Way)
- Trevor’s Trek Cancer Memorial Plaza in Julia Davis Park (700 S. Capitol Blvd.)
- Whitewater Park Blvd. Right-of-Way
CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
Parks and Recreation is hosting a second public meeting on Thursday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Boise Public Library auditorium (715 S. Capitol Blvd.) to gather in-person feedback on the suggested pilot park and facility locations outlined by project managers. Comments can also be submitted via email. Citizens are welcome to recommend other park locations that meet the outlined criteria for consideration.
The department is in the process of notifying neighbors who live around suggested pilot sites and working with Neighborhood Associations in Boise to engage them in the selection process and pilot program as it moves forward.
Feedback on pilot sites will be collected until Wednesday, March 18 and a final decision on monitoring locations will be made by project managers in late March. This timeline will allow the department to start planning for and implementing changes at pilot sites this spring when the mowing, weed mitigation and park maintenance season ramps up.
For continued updates on the site selection process and pesticide reduction pilot program, visit our website: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/pesticide-reduction-pilot-program/