Sept. 4, 2007

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Taking one of the boldest moves of any metropolitan area in the United States, officials in Sarasota County in Florida voted this week to ban business owners and residents from using chemical fertilizers during the rainy season.

Citing water quality and red tide concerns that have been associated with the overuse of chemical fertilizers – especially on lawns – the County will also institute “fertilizer free zones” within ten feet of bodies of water and sharply limit the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus than can be applied at any time of year.

The move was hailed by environmental groups across the nation, who believe the action in Florida will spur other communities across the nation to enact similar legislation. In Florida alone, Charlotte and Manatee counties are considering following Sarasota’s lead, as are the city of Jacksonville and Hillsborough County.

“We think it is significant that Sarasota County has joined other coastal counties such as those in Maryland, Massachusetts and New York to protect the vital estuaries in their bounds, said Shepherd Ogden, Executive Director of SafeLawns.Org. “Their leadership will show the way nationwide for more efficient and environmentally sensitive approaches to lawn and landscape care.”

Sarasota County, with nearly 400,000 residents, approved its rules after more than a year of hearings that included homeowners, business leaders and scientists, along with lobbyists for the fertilizer and pest control industry, some of whom strongly opposed the County action. It bans the use of chemical fertilizers from June 1 to Sept. 30 beginning in February 2008. In addition to limiting the amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen that can be applied per year, the ordinance recommends the use of fertilizers which contain at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen — which includes all organic fertilizers, which are slow-release by nature.

Companies and residents in violation of the fertilizer rules will face penalties that start with a warning notice and increase to a $500 fine for a third offense. Everyone involved realizes that enforcement will be an issue, but that misses the point, according to County leaders.

“I think the real significance of the ordinance is to get people to realize there is a cause and effect with the way fertilizers and pesticides are applied and how it affects our environment,” County Commissioner Paul Mercier said.

Resigned to changes in the laws, some within the chemical fertilizer industry see an opportunity. Mary Hartney, president of the Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association, suggested the fees for violating the ordinance could be used to create a public education program about fertilizer. Both sides of the issue see passage of the ordinance as only the beginning.

“There’s too much at stake here,” said County Commissioner Joe Barbetta. “The watercourses are challenged every day and we've got to do something to stop it.”