Herbicide use at CTC: Survey results

Herbicide use at CTC: Survey results 

The CTC Landscape and Environmental Design (LED) Task Force Committee is made up of CTC managers, residents, and outside professionals. The LED committee is working towards a landscaping plan that greatly cuts herbicide use, is more sustainable, and potentially reduces costs. In a meeting between the LED committee and U of M Land Care this fall, a possible planregarding herbicide use was proposed: the border-exterior of CTC would continue to have herbicides used, but the interior of CTC would become herbicide-free. 

In order to better understand residents’ opinions about herbicide use and the proposed plan, the task force created a survey for CTC residents. Ward reps helped by distributing the survey to their wards at the 2018 fall clean-up. The survey information was compiled and analyzed, and some of the results are shared below. 

209 residentscompleted surveys. 87 residents had children in the home, and 122 residents did not have children in the home. 33% of residents did not realizethat pesticides were used on the property annually to kill weeds. 77% of residents did not realizethat the interior part of Ward 9 (near the community center) has been herbicide-free for several years. 

What do residents think?

Question 3:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I support changing the current weed control policies and greatly reducing pesticide use at CTC.

2% of residents disagreed (or strongly disagreed)with the idea of greatly cutting herbicide useat CTC. 73% of residents agreed (or strongly agreed)with the idea of greatly cutting herbicide useat CTC, while25% were neutral. 

Question 5:Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I support a pesticide-free zone (for weed control) being extended to all of CTC’s interior property. (The border-exterior part of CTC seen from outside the property will be treated to maintain the current appearance).

4% of residents disagreed (or strongly disagreed)with the proposed plan for an herbicide-free CTC interior. 76% of residents agreed (or strongly agreed)with the proposed plan for an herbicide-free CTC interior, while 20% were neutral. 

To see all the survey results, please click here. 

Thank you to everybody who helped to distribute survey information and/or filled out a survey!CTC management will informed U of M Land Care (the contractor that CTC hires to manage our landscape) how we CTC would like to move forward with their Turf Management program for 2019 and the reduction of all Herbicides in the interior of the CTC property. 

Please contact ctc@umnctc.orgfor more information about joining upcoming LED task force committee meetings. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, January 8 from 5-6 pmin the Community Center Fireplace Room. No expertise in landscaping is necessary to attend meetings, and all interested residents are invited to attend.