How does the City decide where to spray herbicide?

As part of a larger Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, non-chemical methods are prioritized in City operations, and chemicals are only used where necessary and then in concert with other weed control strategies.  The City limits herbicide usage to the control of noxious weeds and in landscape maintenance situations that would otherwise overwhelm available labor resources. City staff continually explore ways to reduce herbicide usage further. As a result, the City and its contractors use a very small amount of herbicide annually – herbicides are generally used in much greater quantities by Island homeowners for weed control on private property.