Residents press Missoula council for pesticide-free parks, citing bird declines and children’s health risks

Several Missoula residents and health professionals used the council’s public-comment period on May 18 to press the City Council to end use of synthetic pesticides on city parks and playing fields.

Shannon Parsons (Ward 4) framed the request around wildlife and ecosystem health, citing a February 2026 study and national estimates that show billions of birds have been lost since 1970. “Using pesticides means fewer insects means fewer birds,” Parsons said, and asked the council to adopt a pesticide-free, binding land-care policy rather than voluntary guidelines.

Dr. Paul Smith, a pediatric pulmonologist and director for the Montana side of the NIH program on environmental influences on childhood health outcomes (ECHO), urged the council to protect children’s respiratory health. He told the council that pesticide drift and runoff reach neighborhoods and playgrounds and cited peer-reviewed work linking early-life herbicide exposure to increased asthma risk.

Representatives of Grow Safe (Non-Toxic Missoula) described ongoing organizing (more than 1,500 petition signatures) and local scientific and medical sign-ons in favor of organic land-care. Speakers left physical petition sign-in sheets and urged the council to consider moving from pilots and voluntary guidance to a citywide binding standard.

Council members did not take an immediate vote on pesticide policy at the May 18 meeting. Staff and council members thanked speakers and said the comments are noted for future consideration in parks management discussions. The issue was raised separately in the meeting’s later agenda items, where some councilors reaffirmed environmental and public health concerns while balancing broader agenda priorities.

Next procedural step: speakers asked council to direct Parks & Recreation to develop an enforceable pesticide-free land-care policy for parks and playing fields; the council did not adopt such a directive at the May 18 meeting.

Representative quote: “We must manage our public lands accordingly. I want you as a council to adopt an official organic land care policy for all of Missoula's parks and playing fields. Pesticide free, herbicide free, synthetic free.” — Shannon Parsons (public comment)

The council meeting record will preserve the testimony for follow-up; any future staff action or an agenda item to consider a formal pesticide policy would be noticed and require council consideration.