Summary
In 2008, CELDF and community action groups drafted the “Santa Cruz Local Control, Pesticide, and Chemical Trespass Ordinance.” The ordinance’s development came in response to illness and environmental harm when the state of California was federally mandated to spray pesticides over the Monterey Bay Area in 2007 in an attempt to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). The ordinance was written to fit in with Santa Cruz County’s existing Integrated Pest Management policy, adopted in 2000 by the Board of Supervisors, obligating the county to use the least toxic method in any case. If adopted by the city council, the pending ordinance would ban the bulk application of pesticides anywhere within Santa Cruz city limits. The ordinance recognizes the people’s right to be free from chemical trespass. It also recognizes rights of natural communities and ecosystems within the county. In February of 2009 P.A.C.T. was planning to present the ordinance to the Santa Cruz City Council, however there is limited information on whether this unveiling was held and any further actions that have been taken. The ordinance has not been formally adopted or submitted.
Involved Organizations
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/the-city-of-santa-cruz-local-control-pesticide-and-chemical-trespass-ordinance/.
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