The town meeting action in Nantucket seeking Home Rule authorization banning the use of fertilizers on the island has big implications for Cape Cod. Nantucket waterways, like those here on the Cape, are suffering from nutrient enrichment and the town has rightly identified fertilizer control as the lowest cost option available to lower nutrient loading. Every pound of nitrogen and phosphorus not applied to turf and yards is that much less that must be managed through investment in expanded public infrastructure, lowering the cost and tax implications of achieving the nutrient reductions needed to restore the health of our ponds and bays.
Nantucket is taking direct aim at the state law provisions that preempt local authority to regulate the use of fertilizers to meet local needs. The lawn care industry, and don’t kid yourself about its size and influence, has seen to it that the state stands in the way of meaningful limits on fertilizers. Nantucket is trying to break that barrier and for that the town deserves our support and encouragement. We should think hard about adding all Cape towns to the list of towns seeking this authority.
We all know that the wheels of change can turn slowly on Beacon Hill, but there is no need to wait before taking personal action. Fertilizer control is a common sense action that can be implemented on a yard-by-yard basis, now, by you. You can start today; this is a “Just Say No” campaign that can actually work. Along with eliminating fertilizers on your yard, you can also begin to convert your yard to a more diverse and ecologically balanced place by allowing things like moss to persist, and adding white clover and violets to your lawn. (In fact, we are offering a webinar June 16th to give you tips on diversifying your lawn.) A lot of plant species will start to grow by themselves if you also eliminate the use of broad leaf herbicide treatments that are often mixed in with the fertilizer step programs you don’t need. Your yard, your favorite water body, and the bees and birds that frequent your yard will be happier for these changes.
