Advisory Board: Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee-Decision-Making Subcommittee
Subject: 4. REVIEW proposed draft revisions of the ground squirrel decision document and CONSIDER approval with suggested edits.
Presenter: Wade Finlinson
Contact: 925.655.3214
Information:
The bylaws of the Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee (IPMAC) list several purposes of the Committee. Those include:
• Making policy recommendations upon assessment of current pest issues and evaluation of possible IPM solutions.
• Providing a forum for communication and information exchange among members in an effort to identify, encourage, and stimulate the use of best or promising pest management practices.
• Promoting transparency in pest management decision-making by County Departments.
Referral History and Update:
The IPM Decision-Making Subcommittee is currently the only standing subcommittee of IPMAC. In pursuit of the above purposes, the Subcommittee creates and revises documentation to transparently depict rationale for pest management decisions within County operations. These documents often include recommendations for operational refinement.
The last revision of the ground squirrel decision document was completed in 2019. Since then, regulatory restrictions on anticoagulant rodenticides has limited access to one of the two control tactics deemed “high efficacy” by the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UCIPM). The IPM Coordinator created a third draft of a new decision document after receiving input during the meetings of this Subcommittee held on April 17, 2025, May 15, 2025, and July 17, 2025.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
Staff recommends reviewing the attached third draft of this version of the decision document and approving it with any additional modifications and forwarding to the full Committee to discuss on September to pursue prior to the next meeting (scheduled for September 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM).