YOUR AD HERE »

Grand Lake adopts ordinance restricting spraying, fertilizer

Tonya Bina
Sky-Hi Daily News
Grand County, Colorado

In Grand Lake, those who apply tree pesticides and phosphorous fertilizers are now required by law to spray 30 feet back from any water source, according to a new law passed on Monday that closes possible loopholes in chemical labels.

The law, which saw little resistance among community members during its passage, levies fines of $100 to $300 per illegally sprayed tree.

The law aims to prevent chemical spray drift from entering water sources such as rivers, streams and the lake in an effort to protect the town’s wellhead and drinking supply as well as to protect fish food sources.



In passing the law, Grand Lake Trustee Jim Peterson advocated even more stringent controls within the town. For trees in the town center, the board directed town staff to look into the cost of using a cherry picker and low-pressure wand to spray the park’s trees. Such measures, they reasoned, could prevent drift from landing on playground equipment and other park features.

Related to this issue, an April 21 news release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urges homeowners to follow strict label rules regarding carbaryl, permethrin and bifetnthrin products used to fight mountain pine beetles.



“If the directions on the label are not followed properly, all three pesticides can result in adverse health effects,” the release states.

” Tonya Bina can be reached at 887-3334 ext. 19603 or e-mail tbina@skyhidailynews.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

The Sky-Hi News strives to deliver powerful stories that spark emotion and focus on the place we live.

Over the past year, contributions from readers like you helped to fund some of our most important reporting, including coverage of the East Troublesome Fire.

If you value local journalism, consider making a contribution to our newsroom in support of the work we do.