The City of Mission Viejo has been officially recognized by the State of California, Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as a Fire Risk Reduction Community – acclaiming the City's ongoing commitment to wildfire preparedness, public safety, and community resilience – and for many years has been nationally-recognized as a Tree City USA. The City understands that the community may have questions and takes resident concerns about environmental and public health matters very seriously.
The City maintains an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program which prioritizes the health of residents, visitors, and the environment. These guidelines follow the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) approach, which emphasizes prevention and non-chemical methods as the primary tools.
Key elements of the City’s practices include:
- Non-chemical methods first: The City focuses on Best Management Practices such as manual weed removal, proper irrigation, organic mulching, and maintaining overall plant health to prevent weed and pest issues. These cultural and mechanical controls are the first line of defense.
- No pesticides in recreational areas: The City does not apply pesticides in park turfgrass, athletic fields, playgrounds, or other areas where people (especially children) recreate.
- Targeted and regulated use when necessary: Pesticides or herbicides are used only when non-chemical options are insufficient, and only in limited, targeted applications on City-maintained properties (such as certain rights-of-way or landscaped areas away from high-use public spaces). All applications are performed or directly overseen by California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)-licensed professionals. City contractors are required to comply with all state and federal laws, and several City staff members who oversee these activities are also licensed.
- Limited scope: The City manages pest control only on properties it maintains. The City has no authority or involvement in pest management decisions for private properties or areas maintained by homeowners’ associations (HOAs).
To help keep the public informed, the City provides advance notice of planned pesticide applications in landscape areas, public parks and trails through the Pesticide Application Notifications webpage. The schedule displayed on this page identifies the planned application date, location, treatment area, product, and purpose of the treatment. Signs are also posted at the treatment site during pesticide applications to provide notice to park and trail users.
The City is committed to transparency. Requests for additional information or documents can be submitted through the City’s formal Public Records Request process.
The safety and well-being of Mission Viejo residents remain the City’s top priority and the City welcomes the opportunity to provide information about how public spaces are responsibly managed.
Please do not hesitate to contact publicservices@cityofmissionviejo.org if you have additional questions.
