Dear Non Toxic Laguna Hills supporters,

We have some updates on this petition and we need your help! Please read on....

1. Our city council voted 3 to 2 to try out organic landscape management on two pilot parks (Veeh & Mandeville) starting last July 2019. Yay!

2. Around November 2019 it become clear that the city staff are NOT following an organic landscape protocol for these pilots and instead are following their own protocol that is essentially swapping out synthetic pesticides for organic ones which has been shown in other cities to have undesirable results. Boo!

For those of you unaware, an organic landscape protocol asks for a systems approach to landscape management that not only requires the elimination of toxic pesticides & amendments but also an understanding of soil biomass and how to bring it to optimum health with specific and sound horticultural practices.

We urge everyone on our petition to send a direct email to the below city council members and staff demanding that a truly organic protocol is put in place as that is what our group asked for from the beginning and we don't want to see these pilots fail. Here is a sample email to send. Please change as you see fit!!

jheft@lagunahillsca.gov, dwheeler@lagunahillsca.gov, epezold@lagunahillsca.gov, dsedgwick@lagunahillsca.gov, dgilbert@lagunahillsca.gov, dwhite@lagunahillsca.gov, krosenfield@lagunahillsca.gov, rhanley@lagunahillsca.gov

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Dear Mayor, Council Members and City Staff,

I have become aware that the pilot parks, Veeh and Mandeville, are not following an organic landscape protocol and instead are just testing what results come from swapping out synthetic for organic pesticides. This is NOT what we residents asked for our city council to consider when undertaking these pilot parks. A truly organic protocol asks for a systems approach to landscape management that not only requires 1. the use of organic pesticides & amendments but also 2. an understanding of soil biomass and 3. how to bring it to optimum health with specific and sound horticultural practices. Without all these requirements in place, we will not see reliable results from these pilot parks.

I urge you to switch to an organic protocol for these parks immediately so that we don't continue to spend any more of the $24,000 allocated for these parks on a protocol that isn't based on organic landscaping.

Thank you,

XX Your First and Last Name

XX Please list your city and state