As a property owner in Saint Marys, PA, I value having the autonomy to shape the environmental footprint of my own property. This is not a unique sentiment; many citizens wish to promote eco-friendly, sustainable yard management.

As it stands, the Saint Marys City's Code doesn't allow for pollinator gardens or natural landscapes that exceed 10 inches in height (calling them "weeds" that must be removed). This makes many essential native flowers illegal. It additionally prohibits a universally recommended form of lawn conversion commonly called "meadowing". Universities and ecological organizations across the country are practically begging for these changes, and many towns, cities and even whole states, are changing their polices to allow for it or even incentivize it. Here in PA, property owners can be paid through programs from the PACD and the USDA to naturalize their landscapes. Similar programs are all a across the country and some states have even banned lawn requirements.

So why is everyone pushing for these changes? Simply put, these policies, and the landscapes they require, are destroying the food chain from the bottom up. Pollinator populations continue to decline, and these policies are destroying and prohibiting their essential food and habitat. So for migrating butterflies, our town is a barren wasteland. Local bee keepers are struggling to sustain their hives' populations.  Local farmers and gardeners are experiencing drops in yields due to lack of pollination. About 1/3rd of all the food consumed by Americans relys directly on pollinators.

It doesn't stop there. The nonpoint source pollution associated with lawncare practices has created "dead zones" through our waterways, decimating the fish and macroinvertabrate populations. Turf lawns (being a monoculture) also deplete the soil of nutrients and, due to their frail little roots, allow soil to wash away and riverbanks to erode. To top it off, a study last year showed 18,000 tons of air pollution was emitted in PA by gas-powered lawn equipment.

Why?

Because some people think it looks nice. 

Meanwhile, studies show that long, dense, diverse, native landscapes are more drought resistant, are more pest resistant and are more resistant to noxious and invasive weeds. They are better at managing stormwater (prevent streets from flooding), and will filter the water while they do it. They sequester far more carbon, helping to clean our air and also better regulate ground temperatures. This all adds up to saving you time and money while benefiting the environment and the health and safety of the community.

The City of Saint Marys is a special place. It's in the heart of the PA Wilds, 20 miles from Allegany National Forest and surrounded by state forests, parks, and game lands. We're big, about 100 sq. mi., with 128 acres of water surface and even state game lands within our borders (PA State Game land 25). The Eastern Continental Divide also happens to run right thru down town Saint Marys so we as a city get to pollute two separate major watersheds. Between our unique combination of size, location and the importance of fishing, hunting and agriculture to our area,  we should be the environmental capital of the state. Instead, we are late to the party and missing out on the numerous benefits of these conservation efforts. 

Our request is straightforward: redefine "weeds" in the city code to only include noxious and invasive species, therefore allowing for sustainable, eco-conscious landscaping on private property. This change respects personal property rights, supports social and ecological health, and aligns our community with a future of environmental responsibility. It's time for our ordinances to reflect the priorities of today's citizens and today's world. Join us in making this critical change and sign the petition. 

 

 

You don't have to take my word for it! Here is a huge list of my sources and other relevant information:

 

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13542​

 

https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/5/11/law-maintenance-and-climate-change​

 

https://extension.psu.edu/neighborly-natural-landscaping-in-residential-areas​

 

https://extension.psu.edu/improving-local-water-quality-through-lawn-conversion​

 

https://www.peanc.org/devastating-environmental-cost-traditional-lawns​

 

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/0012-9623-92.4.389#i0012-9623-92-4-389-b4​

 

https://lifehacker.com/stop-mowing-your-lawn-1795653861​

 

https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/activities/stop-mowing-your-lawn-for-nature​

 

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/29-01-2022/why-you-should-stop-mowing-your-lawn​

 

https://www.checinternational.org/news/stop-mowing-your-lawn-and-help-save-nature​

 

https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/news/release/2022/06/01/dont-feel-bad-not-mowing-lawn-its-actually-good-thing​

 

https://www.alleghenyfront.org/lawn-care-lawnmower-air-pollution-pennsylvania/​

 

https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/media-center/release-study-shows-18000-tons-of-air-pollution-emitted-in-pa-by-gas-powered-lawn-equipment/​

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/deliver/grass-gardens-promoting-pollinator-pathways​

 

https://library.weconservepa.org/guides/151-from-lawn-to-meadow#heading_15​

 

https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2017/09/06/ecologies-elsewhere-giving-urban-weeds-third-glance/​

 

https://www.gardeningissocial.com/interesting-links/redefining-weeds-plants-in-the-wrong-place​

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204616000268​

 

https://besdirector.blogspot.com/2013/09/weeds-and-city.html?m=1​

 

https://www.pbssocal.org/redefine/roundup-thinking-about-weeds​

 

https://envirobites.org/2020/05/19/all-those-weeds-add-up-to-a-lot-of-urban-biodiversity/​

 

https://gardenriots.com/2017/01/10/weeds-politics-and-commitment-when-doing-the-right-thing-is-outside-of-the-box/​

 

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/no-mow-transformations/1268780/​

 

https://news.umich.edu/controlling-ragweed-pollen-in-detroit-a-no-mow-solution-for-motown/​

 

https://www.wdrb.com/news/uncut-grass-on-some-jcps-property-part-of-urban-reforestation-effort/article_9f4309e0-be28-5dab-a0e9-ecb746725dc2.html​

 

https://www.houstontx.gov/igd/​

 

https://pollinatorplanet.com/no-mow-movement/#:~:text=The%20No%2DMow%20Movement%20is,and%20regular%20traditional%20lawn%20maintenance​

 

 

https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/what-is-the-anti-lawn-movement​

 

https://www.marthastewart.com/what-is-the-anti-lawn-movement-7482343​

 

https://gardenforwildlife.com/blogs/learning-center/rise-of-the-anti-lawn-movement-garden-for-wildlife​

 

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0373/Sections/0373.185.html​

 

https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/texas-town-rethinking-the-american-lawn/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0tFu1FV8UaF9v2xrqrlhvqV0iX5DKOO_qPZ3o30V83g0nJTRm33mmYh1w_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw​

 

https://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2023/06/penn-state-extension-meadow-repository.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0f4HQ6W15DmFmmmMzCCGaLxYWhKNMiCju19NNGeFSmQKyyR0yDuV3-oJ4_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw&m=1​

 

https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/3103/Naturalistic-Landscape?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0TkvOPaJaWJ86Eojv4XuTk0jYKVaQmXpKkrrSCjg4OoX8DyPwj1YmQGAw_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw​

 

https://www.xerces.org/blog/earth-week-urban-habitat?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3TMqU8euiKg8qS1bIi9TIPRWjDB6aH1-kM7bgVgYuPv0Mf7xsqYJuPVvI_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw​

 

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/its-time-for-cities-to-rethink-lawn-policy​

 

https://mymlsa.org/government-and-legal-issues/ordinances/weed-and-nuisance-plant-ordinances/​

 

https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/millheim/latest/millheimb_pa/0-0-0-1265​

 

https://bwsr.state.mn.us/l2l​

 

 

https://nativeplantsocietyofus.org/native-plant-laws/native-plants/​

 

https://ecode360.com/39324770?highlight=meadow,meadows&searchId=27676705304048361#31981500​

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204621001742​

 

https://www.sej.org/headlines/they-fought-lawn-and-lawn-lost​

 

https://news.wttw.com/2021/09/14/native-garden-registry-gets-green-thumbs-city-council​

 

https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/Water/LawnConversion/Pages/default.aspx​

 

https://www.fws.gov/story/2020-08/value-meadows#:~:text=Meadow%20restoration%20improves%20habitat%20for,and%20nesting%20habitat%20for%20birds​

 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/619431b1d9374e20940349ef384c0d8d