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Is
it possible to protect children from pests with a minimum of potentially
hazardous pesticides? The
answer at the Child and Youth Services program at Fort
Lewis
is a resounding yes, based on a thorough on-site evaluation conducted by
the IPM Institute of
North America.
Fort
Lewis' Child and Youth Services program has earned the IPM
STAR
after passing a rigorous, 48-point inspection.
"Fort
Lewis
does a great job of preventing pest problems by keeping facilities clean
and well-maintained,” according to Dr. Thomas Green, who conducted the
evaluation. “The installation also has a strong record of leadership in
environmental leadership overall.”
Fort
Lewis' commitment to stewardship is reflected in a new Army-wide
sustainability initiative that began with Paul Stuckey, Fort
Lewis' environmental director, according to Ms. Deborah Johnston, IPM
Coordinator for Fort
Lewis.
Johnston
brings an excellent technical background to her position, formerly serving
as a toxicologist with the Department of California Fish and Game.
Installation environmental goals include reducing water consumption
by 50% by 2025 and continuing a spotted owl management plan for timber
cutting and sales on post.
Integrated
Pest Management, or IPM, is a common sense approach to solving pest
problems. Typical pests in
schools and childcare facilities and play yards include ants, mice,
cockroaches and stinging insects. By
avoiding “pest-conducive conditions” that make pests feel at home, Fort
Lewis
facilities staff prevent most problems before they start.
Pests
can’t survive without access to food and water, so good cleaning
practices are emphasized. Buildings
are well maintained - a sound investment which keeps insects and rodents
out. On rare occasions when
these approaches aren’t adequate, mouse traps or small amounts of
least-toxic insecticide baits are used, and only by trained professionals.
“If
we can accomplish our mission without chemicals, we’ll do it,” reports
Tom Sager, pest control lead at Fort
Lewis with 22 years of experience. Jim
Harrison, an Armed Forces Pest Management Board member who is based at Fort
Lewis
agrees. “Thirty years ago, a
40-hour work week would have been 40 hours of spraying time.
Now we spend that time inspecting and caulking holes, and cracks
and crevices as needed.”
Johnston
works with the Child and Youth Services director Barbara Sporcic to make
sure program staff are aware of their roles in pest prevention and have
adequate training. Preventive
medicine staff on base perform monthly inspections of food service and
other areas to ensure that sanitation and maintenance meet high standards.
IPM
STAR
Certification is presented by the IPM Institute of
North America
in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide
Environmental Stewardship Program. The
program is being implemented throughout the Army with support of the
Office of Assistant Chief for Installation Management and the Army
Environmental
Center.
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Prepared as part of the IPM STAR
Certification Process by the IPM Institute of North America for posting on
its website with permission from Fort Lewis.
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