Fertilizer Committee

FACES Board of Directors approved the formation of a Fertilizer Committee to educate the homeowners of Falmouth on proper lawn care and use of fertilizers.  Hila Lyman was appointed Chairperson and committee members are Wendi Buessler, Bruce Dobberteen, Nancy McDonald, Dot Sherrerd and Joan Muller, Dave Palmer, Jim Lloyd, Win Munro & Brad Stumcke.

The Committee works very closely with the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee as they pursue the Fertilizer Program for the Town.  This site will be undated as those efforts progress.

 

Seal of Approval Program: Information for the program may be found on the link Seal of Approval and the application form may be found on link SOA Application Form.  Information for Lawn Service Providers may be found on the link Lawn Service Providers.

 

Current Status

November 11, 2004 The town is waiting for the DEP Estuaries Report on the condition of Bournes, Green and Great Ponds and the associated goals for reducing nutrients into the ponds.  The report is expected this Fall or early Winter.  We expect the reports will be similar to the reports that FAPCC had Horsley and Witten author in the 1999-2000 timeframe and can be viewed at the main library.

 

July 14, 2004  The last round of Certificates will be presented by the Selectmen at their July 26th meeting.  Therefore the deadline for submitting an application is July 19th.  At the Selectmen’s meeting, the Honor Roll Poster will be unveiled and given to the Selectmen to post in Town Hall.  The poster will have all the names of organizations who have signed up for the Seal of Approval program along with helpful hints on how to maintain a Falmouth Friendly Lawn.  Duplicates of the poster will be distributed. 

 

June 30, 2004 The Selectmen presented at their June 14th meeting, 13 more Seal of Approval certificates to organizations/businesses. The press release can be viewed at June press release.

 

April 26, 2004 A comprehensive list of plants and trees friendly to Cape Cod’s climate and soils is listed on the link Cape Cod Plants and Trees.

 

March 25, 2004 The Seal of Approval program continues to grow.  We now have 59 organizations, including landscapers, have signed up for the program.  Recently 50 letters were sent to the Presidents of member Associations/organizations asking that they and their membership sign up for the program.

 

In January, FACES received a generous grant from the Sholley Foundation to help FACES educate the citizens of Falmouth about the ongoing threat of nitrogen overloading of our coastal ponds. We are developing graphics and presentation material and the means for delivering our message to various groups in Town.  In addition, we are planning to publish in booklet form the 20 Tim Traver articles which appeared in the Falmouth Enterprise during the summer of 2003.  The booklets will be distributed to the Town libraries, schools and other sites as appropriate. 

 

December 7, 2003 Since the last report there has been a great deal of activity with the birth of a new program, Seal of Approval, the design and printing of a Ecological Landscaping on Cape Cod brochure (available in the vestibule rack in Town Hall) and the printing of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn bumper sticker (also available in Town Hall).

 

The Seal of Approval program is a voluntary program whereby organizations agree to limit the amount of fertilizer they use for the right to display the Preserve Falmouth’s Bays and Ponds official logo.  Details of the program may be found on the SOA Program link.

 

A complete listing of the Enterprise articles is now available on the link.

 

August 17, 2003 The FFL brochure was mailed to all Falmouth homeowners in late July. “We Support Falmouth Friendly Lawn” bumper stickers are now available and the Committee is working on an Ecological Landscaping Brochure.  Tim Traver’s articles continue to appear in Friday’s Falmouth Enterprise and can be viewed at Enterprise Articles.

 

June 30, 2003 The articles continue to appear in the Enterprise and can be viewed at Falmouth Enterprise.

 

April 25, 2003 Update The Fertilizer Committee has been hard at work even though the website has not been updated lately.  The Committee presented the 2003 program to the Board of Selectmen on February 23rd and they approved the plan with a couple of provisos concerning contracting.  These provisos have been met and the Town has hired Shannon Goheen to be the Campaign Coordinator.  In addition, Tim Traver, a freelance writer with great credentials, has been asked to write a weekly set of articles for the Falmouth Enterprise.  The first two articles were written by Jack Barnes, Chairman of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee and Hila Lyman, Chair of the Fertilizer Committee and can be viewed at Enterprise articles.  The Committee is working on an update for the brochure which was mailed to all residents last summer.  In addition we have asked O’Sullivan Communications to design a bumper sticker which will promote the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign.

The Campaign will be officially kicked off Monday evening, April 28, 2003 at the Board of Selectmen’s Meeting. 

 

February 12, 2003 Update The Fertilizer Committee has received a proposal for the 2003-year program and plans on meeting with the Selectmen on February 24th to discuss the budget for the year.  After approval of the budget, it is then anticipated that the Committee will kick off the 2003 campaign at the Selectmen’s meeting on April 14th.  The plan for this coming year will include a series of articles in the Falmouth Enterprise to provide even more information about Falmouth Friendly Lawn care that many homeowners requested in responding to last fall’s survey.  In addition, two areas of emphasis will be fertilizing ONLY in the fall and beginning a campaign for people to convert at least some of their lawn to ecological landscaping.

 

The winner of the Bose radio for the last fall’s survey was Sem Aykanian of Shorecrest Drive, E. Falmouth.  Congratulations!!

 

January 8, 2003 Update The results of the survey are listed at surveyresultswave2.  As can be seen from the results, the majority of respondents believe that they can have an impact on the water quality of the ponds and are willing to help in that effort.  The responses to the last question were very much appreciated and told the Committee that people were concerned.  The comments are listed at the end of the report.  The Committee is using that input and others to formulate the program for this upcoming growing season and will publicize the agenda shortly.

 

December 5, 2002 Update The responses to the follow-up survey to the summer Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign have been received and results were highlighted in the Falmouth Enterprise (see Falmouth Enterprise article).  The committee met recently to look at follow on actions for the next growing season.  O’Sullivan Communications has been asked to respond to input from the Committee.  We are waiting for that response.

 

June 15, 2002 Update The next meeting of the Fertilizer Committee is June 26th at 7 P.M.

 

June 10, 2002 Update The Fertilizer Committee met with O’Sullivan Communications on May 24th to discuss follow –on programs.  A postcard is being developed to remind residents that fertilizing in the summer is not necessary and reminding them of the water restrictions.

 

At the next meeting of the Board of Directors, June 12th, there will be a discussion of the upcoming annual meeting on July 16th at 7:00 P.M. at the main Falmouth Library.   

 

May 2, 2002 Update The official launch of the Fertilizer Program was held at the Selectmen’s meeting on April 22nd with three selectman, the Town Administrator, other regional dignitaries and Committee members in attendance.  In addition, it was broadcast live on Channel 13.  The logo for the campaign was unveiled, logo, and two banners were introduced, sign and sign1.  The results of the survey mailed in late February are listed in survey results.  The winner of the Bose radio was John Buskey, E. Falmouth.  Brochures, brochure ( 2.1MB pdf file), have been mailed to every homeowner in Falmouth explaining the “Falmouth Friendly Lawn Care Plan” and preliminary information from one garden center indicates that organic fertilizer is outselling chemical fertilizer.  The message IS getting out!!  

The April 26, 2002 Cape Cod Times had the following editorial; Growing a Friendly Lawn, “Earlier this week, the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee launched a campaign to reduce nitrogen pollution in coastal ponds and estuaries.  Most of the pollution is caused by lawn fertilizers and septic tanks.  The Committee hopes to persuade Falmouth residents to adopt lawn care practices that prevent nitrogen leaching, which can accelerate the growth of algae in the town’s ponds and bays.  Too much algae can lead to fish kills, foul odors and dropping property values.  Less lawn is better, but at the very least residents should use organic fertilizers.  Native plants, scrubs and trees also don’t require a lot of water and fertilizers.  As much as15 percent of nitrogen pollution is caused by chemical fertilizers.  Septic systems account for 50 percent of the problem.  The Falmouth campaign should be adopted by the county.  Every Cape town needs to follow Falmouth’s lead.”

 

April 19, 2002 Update The official kick-off of the Fertilizer Program will be held on Monday, April 22 at 6:45 P.M. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room.  It will be televised live on Channel 13 and will immediately precede the weekly Selectmen’s meeting.  The winner of the Bose radio will be announced at that time.  The Brochure is in production and will be mailed shortly.

 

March 30, 2002 Update The Committee has reviewed the preliminary results of the survey and is scheduling a roll-out of the program in the second or third week of April.  At that time the results will be announced.  When the roll-out is scheduled, it will be posted on this site and in the local media.  The drawing for the radio will be held at that time.  The brochure has been approved and is in printing for distribution around the time of the roll-out.

 

March 11, 2002 Update  O’Sullivan Communications/Delahaye in conjunction with Hila Lyman and her Committee have developed a survey/questionnaire which has been mailed to approximately 6,000 homeowners in the watersheds of Bournes, Green and Great Ponds.   The main goals of the survey are to assess the awareness and concern of the citizens in regards to fertilizer being a contributor to the nitrogen overloading problems of the ponds.  I n addition, the survey wants to learn what kinds of fertilizers and how often they are being used on the lawns. At the end of the season, a follow-up survey will be issued to ascertain any changes that the education program has made.  Also, a brochure is being developed which describes How to Grow a Falmouth Friendly Lawn.  This brochure should be issued in April.  O’Sullivan Communications has been contacting fertilizer retailers and lawn service providers to gain their support for this education program.  Hopefully we will see new banners in the retail/nursery stores soon.

 

January 15, 2002 Update The Town of Falmouth is waiting for funds to be transferred from the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) so that the contract can be signed with O’Sullivan Communications.  As soon as the contract is signed, a questionnaire will be sent to all homeowners in the three ponds’ (Bournes, Green and Great Ponds) watersheds.  It is anticipated that the questionnaire will be sent out in February.