Responsible Pesticide Parks Program
Los Alamos County Parks and Open Space Division and Recreation Division care for more than 201 acres of “Standard developed” parkland, 588 acres of undeveloped or nonstandard parkland (much of this is natural area within developed parks) and 205 acres of golf course. Over the last several years, we have steadily reduced pesticide use. In the early 2017, Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Divisions adopted the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) philosophy.
What is a Responsible Pesticide Park?
A responsible pesticide use park is one that is maintained with limited use of registered pesticides by trained and licensed pesticide applicators. If it becomes necessary to apply pesticides at a park, the site will be clearly posted before, during and after the application to notify users.
What makes a successful Responsible Pesticide Park?
The most successful limited pesticide parks are easy to maintain. When deciding to use a pesticide, our Licensed Applicators consider the least toxic application of pesticides to achieve an acceptable threshold of control of weeds or pests. New parks and landscapes are designed with low pesticide needs in mind.
How are pesticide-free parks different?
Some areas that are difficult to maintain — large shrub beds, fence lines and spaces beneath trees — may look less manicured and more natural than at other parks. Parks and Open Space staff will continue to make all parks and open space inviting for all visitors.
Although pesticide use has been greatly reduced, pesticides are used when necessary to manage noxious and invasive weeds as well as pest infestations near higher-use areas. In these instances, pesticides reduce invasive, non-native weeds to allow diverse, native habitat to establish and thrive, and maintain the clean appearance of parks.
The Parks & Open Space Division has adopted the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) philosophy
That means that we carefully:
- Set thresholds for weeds
- Monitor weed growth
- Choose the most effective and least toxic method for control when weed populations increase beyond acceptable thresholds.
Our employees effectively:
- Maintain parks while minimizing pesticide use
- Set aside sensitive areas where pesticides are restricted
- Improved park designs to limit future need for pesticides
- Identified parks where pesticides aren’t needed at all.
Integrated Pest Management Plan(PDF, 10MB)
3212024 01 Fire Station # 2, 132 DP Road
3212024 02 Eco Transfer Station, 3701 East Jemez Road
3212024 03 Eco Station, 3701 East Jemez Road,
3212024 04 Judicial Complex, 2500 Trinity Drive
3212024 05 Municipal Complex, 1000 Central Avenue
3212024 06 Airport, 1040 Airport Road
03272024(PDF, 61KB) 07 Pajarito Cliffs Site, 101 Camino Entrada
03272024 08 Ice Rink, 4477 West Road
03272024(PDF, 60KB) 09 LA Little Theatre, 1670 Nectar,
03272024(PDF, 61KB) 10 White Rock Waste Water Plant, 2 Overlook Park
03272024(PDF, 60KB) 11 Fire Station # 6, 457 East Road, Los Alamos
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 12 Red Cross Building, 2150 Juniper
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 13 Animal Shelter, 226 East Road
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 14 Historical Museum, 1921 Juniper
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 15 Community Bldg, 475 20th Street
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 16 Fuller Lodge, 2132 Central Ave
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 17 Fire Station # 4, 4401 Diamond Drive
04022024(PDF, 61KB) 18 Golf Course Club House, 4240 Diamond Drive
04022024(PDF, 61KB) 19 White Rock Library, 10 Sherwood Blvd
04022024(PDF, 61KB) 20 Bayo Waste Water Plant, 1 Bayo Canyon
04022024(PDF, 61KB) 21 Aquatic Center, 2760 Canyon Road
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 22 Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Avenue
04022024(PDF, 60KB) 23 Betty Ehart Senior Center, 1101 Bathtub Row
04022024(PDF, 61KB) 24 Golf Course Maint Shop, 4280 Diamond Dr
04042024(PDF, 61KB) 25 Golf Course, 4290 Diamond Dr, Los Alamos
04092024(PDF, 167KB) 26 White-Rock-Town-Hall-139-Longview-Drive
04092024(PDF, 167KB) 27 White-Rock-Activity-Center-135-Longview-Drive
04092024(PDF, 167KB) 28 White-Rock-Youth-Activity-Center-10-Sherwood-Blvd
04092024(PDF, 167KB) 29 White-Rock-Senior-Center-133-Longview-Drive
04092024(PDF, 169KB) 30 White-Rock-Fire-Station-3-129-State-Road-4
04092024(PDF, 166KB) 31 White-Rock-Overlook-Park-Maintenance-1-Overlook-Park
04092024(PDF, 168KB) 32 White-Rock-Visitor-Center-115-State-Road-4
04172024(PDF, 60KB) 33 Ashley Pond
04172024(PDF, 62KB) 34 101 Camino Entrada Building 5
04222024(PDF, 62KB) 35 101 Camino Entrada Building 5
04222024(PDF, 61KB) 36 4290 Diamond Dr.
04222024(PDF, 62KB) 37 101 Camino Entrada Building 5
04232024(PDF, 62KB) 38 101 Camino Entrada Building 5