• The US EPA and the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) released three new grant opportunities:
• Capacity Building for Sustainable Communities 
• Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants 
• Community Challenge Grants 

• Join the Schoolbugs listserv to ask questions, learn from others and share successes and challenges
   

Pesticide Restrictions Provide New Opportunities for IPM 

In the wake of laws passed in New York State and Connecticut that restrict the use of pesticides on school grounds including athletic fields, facility managers are transitioning to a "natural" pest management program in order to deal with weeds, insects and turf diseases. Effective on October 1, 2009 for day care centers and on July 1, 2010 for K-8 schools, the Connecticut law bans all EPA-registered pesticides labeled for use on lawn and/or ornamental sites, including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. New York State's Child Safe Playing Fields Act became effective in May 2011 and poses similar restrictions on school and day care turf management programs.

Simply eliminating pesticide applications, without shifting to a different set of practices and products, is unlikely to produce attractive, functional turf.   A number of resources are available to help facility managers make a successful transition. A fact sheet published by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) entitled Maintaining Quality Turfgrass under CT's Lawn Care Pesticide Ban presents IPM strategies including mechanical and cultural controls, such as overseeding, aerating and adjusting mowing heights, that can be used in place of banned pesticides to grow healthy turfgrass. Jennifer Grant, assistant director of the New York State IPM Program, attests, "Overseeding, or applying grass seed on existing turf, makes it more difficult for weeds to become established and compensates for any slow-down in the turf's reproduction." Turf varieties should be drought tolerant and resistant to disease and wear. Aeration delivers oxygen to turf roots and beneficial soil organisms, relieves soil compaction and improves water infiltration. Higher mowing heights allow grass to grow taller and shade out weeds.  

The Connecticut DEP recommends that soil be tested annually to better predict which fertilizers and soil amendments are needed to keep turfgrass healthy and minimize fertilizer cost and losses to runoff. There are no restrictions on the use of fertilizers, although any combination fertilizer-pesticide products that contain an herbicide, insecticide or fungicide are not allowed.

As with any new approach, those in transition are likely to experience start-up costs for training and equipment, but long-term costs are not necessarily higher. According to a 2010 report by Charles Osborne and Doug Wood, "A natural turf management program can result in savings of greater than 25% compared to a conventional turf management program." Irrigation costs are also reduced by the adoption of natural turf management. According to Osborne and Wood, "Estimates of irrigation reduction for natural turf programs range from 33% to more than 50%" because of "deep root growth and moisture retention by organic matter."

In addition to publications and online resources, there are regular regional school IPM workshops and training sessions that facility managers can attend. Most recently, Donna Ellis, senior extension educator and co-chair of the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) at the University of Connecticut, hosted an IPM training workshop called Adjusting to Pesticide Ban Legislation: K-8 Grounds Turfgrass Management Workshop. More than 100 attendees learned about the new law and improved their knowledge and skills in turf management. The event featured outdoor hands-on sessions on evaluating turf and operating equipment for overseeding and aeration.

Not all pesticide products are prohibited for use. US EPA lists specific criteria for "minimum risk pesticides" and products meeting these criteria remain acceptable for use on school and day care grounds in Connecticut and New York.

New Facility Masters Webcast and Nationwide Listserv

The Facility Masters Webcast Series, founded by Roger Young, has provided facility managers and others with information on best practices in preventive maintenance and energy management for the past two years.

As part of this series, Facility Masters will host an interactive webcast entitled "Effective Integrated Pest Management for Safeguarding Kitchens, Cafeterias and Classrooms" on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 from 12:00 pm - 1:15pm EDT. Just in time for the start of the new school year, this webcast will detail best practices to identify, eliminate and prevent common pests and pest-conducive conditions in kitchens, cafeterias and classrooms. Attendees will also learn ways to improve their IPM program by scheduling and tracking regular inspections of these areas. For more information about this educational webcast and to register to attend, please visit https://cc.readytalk.com/r/5cjxajftf1e8.

In addition to the webcasts, Facility Masters created a FREE nationwide listserv to help educational professionals ask questions, get answers and share best practices for operating and maintaining quality learning environments that promote student health and achievement. To subscribe to the listserv, send a blank email to join-facilitymasters@talk.netatlantic.com.  

Questions regarding the webcast or email listserv can be directed to Roger Young at roger@k12masters.com or 1-978-886-6093.