The Community Services Department uses herbicides very judiciously within the park system. We use pesticides to manage insects on the Carson Park baseball field, to control broadleaf weeds in high traffic areas, other athletic fields, and cemeteries.  We also use an herbicide on Half Moon Lake to curtail the explosion of curlyleaf pondweed, an invasive exotic weed.

Our use of herbicides is minimal – applied on less than 10% of all park and cemetery land managed by our department. All herbicides are applied by certified applicators according to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection and United States federal regulations.

Herbicides have been applied in the two city cemeteries for decades. There is an expectation by many that these lands be at least dandelion free. We continue to seek a healthy balance between being good stewards of our resources and meeting the expectations of our constituents.

We continue to monitor the use of herbicides and seek alternatives to chemical use in our parks and public areas.  For more detailed information, please visit the link below for a presentation on the Integrated Pest Management Plan for your public parks.

Integrated Pest Management Plan

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