Maryland Pesticide Network and the Smart on Pesticides Campaign

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Founded in 1994, the mission of the Maryland Pesticide Network (MPN)is to protect the public and the environment from the hazards of pesticides and promote safer alternatives. MPN’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Health Care Facilities Project, with over 20 participating health care facilities, is building capacity for the health care industry to transition to IPM.

MPN’s Community Outreach Project partners with Baltimore City in training high school students to reduce pesticide use and exposure in their communities. Students educate local business and day care centers about the hazard of pesticides, IPM and safer alternatives. This Project is also working with Baltimore City on transitioning Canton Waterfront Park to organic land care as a demonstration site and model for City residents on reducing pesticide use, exposure and runoff.

MPN’s Pesticides and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project is co-sponsored with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. This Project includes over 300 stakeholders with a shared mission to reduce Chesapeake Bay pesticide occurrence and impact. Five working groups meet at least quarterly to address various aspects including assessing research and implementing solutions for reducing pesticide use and runoff. This Project also partners with the state on transitioning the MD State House Grounds to organic land care.

Additionally MPN, with a diverse group of organizations, works to ensure the state establishes a pesticide use reporting database to provide public health and Bay restoration experts with data needed to monitor impact of pesticides on public health and the Chesapeake Bay. Our Smart on Pesticides Campaign (http://www.mdpestnet.org/take-action/smart-on-pesticides-maryland/) was instrumental in the passage of the 2013 Pesticide Reporting and Information Work Group law that established a work group to assess the need and best format for a non-homeowner pesticide use database.We hope to see a database law passed in 2014.

Follow us on Facebook for up to date news and research on pesticides at: https://www.facebook.com/MarylandPesticideNetwork and on twitter @PesticidesSmart

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