As snowbanks recede and temperatures inch higher, Mainers’ minds will inevitably turn to green lawns and lush gardens.
But Portlanders need to think twice before picking up that bottle of Roundup or bag of weed and feed. Beginning this year, the use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited in Maine’s largest city, unless an emergency waiver is granted. The city has delayed the ban for some publicly owned athletic fields and exempted the municipal golf course, but a spokeswoman says those properties will be managed to minimize harmful pesticide use.
Adopted just over a year ago, Portland’s pesticide ordinance bans synthetic pesticides use on lawns, gardens, landscaped areas, patios, sidewalks, driveways, parks and playing fields. Only organic treatments can be used to beat back weeds and insects such as grubs.
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