Martin County nixes fertilizer ban extension

Treasure Coast Newspapers

st. Lucie County’s Water Quality Division wants to remind all residents and businesses that the county-wide fertilizer ban once again goes into effect June 1 through Sept. 30. This applies to all businesses and residences living in unincorporated St. Lucie County, as well as the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie.

MARTIN COUNTY — County commissioners on Tuesday rejected an extension of the summer fertilizer ban.

Following staff recommendations, they instead unanimously approved an increased education campaign about the environmental risks of nitrogen-based fertilizer.

Commissioners made their decision after about an hour of discussion and a presentation during which county staff members said increasing the ban from four months to six months — as other Martin County municipalities have done — actually could be harmful to the environment.

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John Maehl, county Ecosystems Division manager, said extending the fertilizer ban during the drier autumn months could increase the potential for erosion, a major source of waterway contamination.

Maehl also cited negative impacts to landscapers as an argument against extending the ban to Nov. 30. Stakeholders including the Florida Turf Growers Association and the Florida Farm Bureau opposed the extension, according to the county.

The city of Stuart — following the example of Sewall's Point — extended its fertilizer ban to six months earlier this year.

Commissioner Ed Fielding on Monday said the county's education campaign should include information on the environmental impacts of fertilizer.

"It needs to be not only 'We don't want you to do it,' but 'Here's what you're doing. You're imposing significant harm on the community,'" Fielding said.

The county currently spends $60,000 a year on fertilizer education, according to Maehl.

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The commission also discussed increasng enforcement, but decided against it.

Martin County waterways, including the St. Lucie River, saw an outbreak of algae blooms over the summer. Nutrients in fertilizer can cause algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle, which depletes oxygen and can cause fish kills.

Martin County implemented its fertilizer ordinance in 2011 and updated in 2014 to:

Ban phosphorus fertilizer all year
Allow slow-release, 50 percent nitrogen fertilizer from Oct. 1 to May 30
Ban nitrogen fertilizer June 1 to Sept. 30; some properties, including farms and golf courses, are exempt
Limit fertilization to times when rain is not forecast
Set a 25-foot fertilizer-free buffer from wetlands and bodies of water

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