Stop Using Herbicides in Fonticello Park!

Stop Using Herbicides in Fonticello Park!

Started
November 3, 2022
Petition to
Chief Administrative Officer, City of Richmond Lincoln Saunders and 2 others
Signatures: 222Next Goal: 500
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Why this petition matters

Started by Fonticello Park

The City of Richmond Department of Public Works continue the dangerous use herbicides to maintain areas of the park instead of weed whacking citing that it would double their workload if they stopped using herbicides. Our goal is to work with the city to find alternatives to herbicide use that won’t increase the workload for an understaffed Department.

We would like the city to consider The Parks for a Sustainable Future program as an alternative to herbicides.

This Beyond Pesticides website states:

"What do the factsheets disclose? Of the 40 most commonly used lawn and landscape pesticides, in reference to adverse health effects…

26 are possible and/or known carcinogens
24 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system
29 are linked to reproductive effects and sexual dysfunction
21 have been linked to birth defects
24 are neurotoxic
32 can cause kidney or liver damage
33 are sensitizers and/or irritants

Regarding adverse environmental effects…

21 are detected in groundwater
24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources
39 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem
33 are toxic to bees
18 are toxic to mammals
28 are toxic to birds"

Herbicide use around spring house

As research has shown, the use of herbicides is wildly problematic as they are detrimental to humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Herbicides with Glyphosate are carcinogenic, putting city workers who apply these chemicals at risk, as well as being detrimental to the people and animals that use the park. Herbicides also kill important microbes in the ground which are necessary for healthy soil. They also leech into our waterways and drinking water. And they indiscriminately kill pollinators which are vital for food to grow.

Richmond desires to become a Bee City and held a presentation on October 14th. During this presentation, it was shared that a key part of this initiative requires cities to reduce their herbicide and pesticide usage.

We believe there is no better place to STOP this dangerous practice than in our parks, where children and pets play, where gardens exist to nourish our communities, and where we hope to nurture wildlife to support thriving ecosystems. 

The Friends of Fonticello Park is asking that the city immediately put an end to the use of dangerous herbicides and pesticides in our park system except for the management of invasive species. We are asking them to work with us to find sustainable alternatives to chemical spraying.


For international signers, while we appreciate your support, we need local community members to sign to make the biggest impact. The city will disregard signatures from folks outside the area. Please consider a donation via our web page instead.

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Signatures: 222Next Goal: 500
Support now
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Decision Makers

  • Lincoln SaundersChief Administrative Officer, City of Richmond
  • Bobby VincentDirector of Department of Public Works, City of Richmond
  • Levar StoneyMayor, City of Richmond