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Missoula parks describe pilot to reduce herbicide use at McCormick Park
Summary
Parks and Rec director described a McCormick Park pilot that began in 2019 and reported improved soil root depth from 1 inch to 4 inches after organic-management practices; full herbicide-free conversion would take years and likely increase staffing and costs.
Missoula Parks and Recreation staff described an ongoing pilot at McCormick Park aimed at reducing herbicide use and transitioning turf to organic management.
Marissa Yoshiocha (introduced as the parks and rec director) said the pilot began in 2019 with a grant from Grow Safe and Healthy Babies and partnerships with Osborne Organics and Beyond Pesticides. Yoshiocha reported that following the pilot “we're seeing improved root depth from 1 inches to 4 inches,” and said soils are becoming healthier though weed control remains a multi-year process.
Staff noted budgetary and staffing implications: an herbicide-free program modeled after other cities could require significantly more staff and roughly an additional $1 million (the host cited Boulder’s approach as an example requiring higher staffing levels). For Missoula, Parks staff said the current work is informational and exploratory; any citywide expansion would need additional funding and likely voter approval if it required creating or expanding a park district.
The presentation was informational; no budget decision was finalized during the broadcast.
