Reducing Fertilizer Use & Increasing the

Use of Slow-Release Fertilizer

Submitted to:
Southwest Florida Water Management District

Submitted by:
McKenzie-Mohr & Associates
 Table of Contents
Background .........................................................................................3

Barriers and Benefits...........................................................................4

Reducing Fertilizer Use .................................................................................... 4
Switching to Slow-Release Fertilizer................................................................. 5

Summaries of Successful Programs ...................................................6

Biodiversity Project’s Great Lakes Forever program ........................................ 6
The Chesapeake Club Spring Media Campaign............................................... 8
Watershed Pledge Program (WPP), British Columbia Institute of Technology
(BCIT)’s Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Program ............................................... 9
Edmonds Environmental Services TSOM and TSWM, Halifax County,
Nova Scotia ................................................................................................ 10
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN), Florida .............................................. 10

Fertilizer Pilot ....................................................................................12

Pilot Evaluation .................................................................................14

Endnotes ...........................................................................................15

Appendices .......................................................................................18

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 2

Background
Caring about the appearance of one’s yard seems to come naturally, but adopting
natural lawn care practices is another story. The products that people use to care for
their grass, namely pesticides and fertilizers, may make lawns look good, but at what
cost?

Excess fertilizer washes off lawns with storm water into storm drains, transporting the
nitrogen, phosphate and potassium to nearby lakes and streams.1 Excess nutrients
produce blooms of algae and other aquatic plants, which then decompose, depleting the
oxygen in the water needed by fish and other aquatic life.2 Excess levels of phosphate
in fresh water and nitrate in salt water are primarily responsible for this process of
“eutrophication.”3 The depletion of oxygen will affect the most sensitive aquatic life first,
like young salmon.4 Eutrophication can kill fish and threatens aquatic biodiversity, such
as species deemed important for commerce and recreation, aquatic plant beds and
coral reefs.5 Nutrient enrichment also harms water for drinking, industry, recreation and
agriculture.6

Water shortages and poor water quality are linked because contamination reduces the
supply of water and increases the costs of treating water for use.7 Preventing pollution is
among the most cost-effective means of increasing water supplies.8 Eutrophication due
to excessive inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen is the most common cause of water
being not fit for drinking, irrigation, industry, recreation or fishing.9 Eutrophication is
responsible for 50% of the impaired lake area and 60% of impaired river area in the
United States.10 Algal blooms have increased in coastal oceans in recent years, causing
eutrophication and changes in marine food webs.11 The severe negative impacts of the
algal blooms include damage to aquaculture and shellfisheries,12 causing shellfish
poisoning in humans and killing marine mammals.13 While phosphorus causes indirect
health effects to fresh waters through the process of eutrophication, nitrate pollution
poses direct health threats to humans and other animals.14 For this reason, the U.S.
EPA has created a maximum contaminant level of nitrate in drinking water to protect
infants younger than 3–6 months.15 Infants are susceptible to metabolizing nitrate into
nitrite in their digestive tracts, which converts hemoglobin into methemoglobin,
interfering with the oxygen-carrying ability of blood.16 17 This condition is called
methemoglobinemia, in which a baby turns blue due to oxygen starvation.18
Methemoglobinemia can potentially result in death if not properly treated.19 20

Fertilizer, used in both agricultural and urban activities, is a major source of nonpoint
phosphorous and nitrate pollution.21 Urban runoff is the third greatest cause of lake
deterioration in the United States, accounting for approximately 28% of the lakes that do
not meet water quality standards.22 Urban runoff of chemicals from lawns is a significant
portion of that 28%.

For example, the Lauderdale Lakes in Wisconsin, like many others, are phosphorus
limited, which means that phosphorus is the nutrient limiting plant growth and affecting
lake productivity.23 A 1996 study of the lakes revealed that surface water flowing from

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the small nearshore contributing drainage area accounted for only 4% of the water
inflow, yet represented 51% of the total annual phosphorus input from all sources.24 A
follow-up study conducted in 2002 estimates that the percentage of phosphorus input
from lawns accounts for up to 60% of the total annual phosphorus flowing into the
lake.25 The study concluded that fertilizer did not affect nitrogen concentrations in the
lawn runoff, but total phosphorus concentration in lawn runoff was directly related to the
phosphorus concentration in the lawn soils.26 Importantly, the dissolved phosphorus
concentrations from regular fertilizer sites had a median twice as high as the
nonphosphorus fertilized and unfertilized sites.27

In Georgia, some researchers simulated heavy rainfall of 2 inches to test how much
fertilizer and pesticides would run off slightly sloped plots on clay soil, one to two days
after their application.28 Sixteen percent of nitrate fertilizer washed off of green grass
plots, and 64% off of dormant plots, which demonstrates how immediate a concern
stormwater runoff can be.29 These results are particularly concerning, given that an
estimated 35% of the U.S. population (38 million people) overfertilize their lawns.30 A
comparison of 11 homeowner surveys on lawn care practices throughout the
Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington and
Florida revealed that 50%–88% fertilize their lawns from 1.7 to 3.2 times a year.31

Excessive use of quick-release, water-soluble-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers will end up

harming soil and creating more problems than it is worth.32 Problems include decreased
populations of earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms and increased soil
acidity, thatch accumulation, soil compaction, certain turf diseases, weed growth33 and
rapid shoot growth.34 Turf professionals now recommend that fertilization practices aim
at complementing and not competing with the structure, organic content and natural
nutrient cycling processes, as it is easier to grow grass in biologically active soil.35

Possible alternatives to quick-release fertilizers are compost and slow-release

fertilizers.36 Slow-release synthetic chemicals such as IBDU and sulfur or poly-coated
urea compounds are preferable because they release more slowly into the soil,
preventing runoff.37 They may, however, still be toxic to earthworms and predisposed to
leaching.38

Reducing fertilizer use and having people switch to slow-release fertilizers that are less
likely to pollute the watershed through stormwater runoff is good for the environment
and also for the economy because of all of the related water activities, such as fishing,
drinking and swimming. It is also less costly to prevent water pollution than it is to clean
up the water after the damage is already done.

Barriers and Benefits

Reducing Fertilizer Use
The barriers to reducing fertilizer use are similar to the barriers to reducing pesticides,
which is also a lawn care watershed-related behavior. The most commonly

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acknowledged barrier is a lack of knowledge about the connection between lawn care
practices and the local watershed. Surveys indicate that the average American citizen is
unaware of the watershed concept in general and, therefore, does not understand the
connection between their yard, the street, storm drains and the final destination—local
streams.39 In one survey, only 41% of Americans knew what the term “watershed”
meant and only 22% knew that stormwater runoff is the most common source of stream,
river and ocean pollution.40 Other surveys indicate similar results. Overall, less than
25% of residents rated lawn fertilizer as a water quality concern;41 however, about 60%
of people who lived adjacent to lakes considered fertilizer use a concern.42

Precampaign research conducted by Biodiversity Project for their Great Lakes Forever
campaign, identified significant gaps in knowledge about the Great Lakes as barriers to
the public’s understanding of threats and to the public’s role in building solutions.43

Maintaining a green, attractive lawn is another barrier to reducing fertilizer use,44 as is

the belief that conventional lawn care practices are more effective, more convenient and
less time-consuming.45

There is also a major financial barrier associated with educating people effectively about
watershed behavior. In a review of eight citizen surveys, messages sent by public
television, newspapers and radio were consistently more effective at reaching residents,
with up to 30% recall rates by the watershed population for each respective technique.46
Messages delivered through meetings, brochures, local cable TV and videos tend to be
recalled by only a very small portion of the watershed population.47 However, most
watershed education programs do not have the budgets to use more sophisticated
wholesale outreach techniques.48

The benefits to reducing fertilizer use include not having to mow as often and a healthier
lawn without the problems associated with overfertilization. Such problems include
thatch buildup, susceptibility to drought damage and rapid leaf growth at the expense of
roots.49

Switching to Slow-Release Fertilizer

The main barrier to adopting a slow-release fertilizer over a conventional fertilizer is that
the former are comparatively more expensive.50 They can be 10 to 15 times as
expensive per pound of nitrogen, compared to soluble, granular forms.51 The benefit to
using a slow-release fertilizer is that the nutrients are released at a slower pace, thus
allowing the soil to absorb the nutrients, which prevents excess nutrients from running
off into storm drains and seeping down through soil and into the ground water.

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Summaries of Successful Programs

Biodiversity Project’s Great Lakes Forever program 52

The Biodiversity Project followed community-based social marketing steps closely in the
design of their program. They began by conducting focus groups in four Great Lakes
cities in the states of Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. The focus groups were followed by
confidential interviews conducted with 20 decision-makers throughout the Great Lakes
region. Findings from the focus groups and interviews were then used to develop a
large-sample (1,500 ppl.) telephone survey. Conducted in July of 2002, the survey
included a random sample of adults from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, Erie County (Pennsylvania) and counties in the Lake Ontario watershed
in upstate New York. Biodiversity Project’s goals were to determine public attitudes,
awareness of key issues and values that residents of the eight Great Lakes states
associate with the Great Lakes and Great Lakes issues. In combination with this
background research, Biodiversity Project also took into account recommendations from
Great Lakes policy group leaders from their summer 2003 interviews, and findings from
a 2003 electronic survey of organizations, agencies and institutions that carry out Great
Lakes public education.

The survey of Great Lakes residents revealed that 94% agree that each of us has a
personal responsibility to protect the Great Lakes, and 96% agree that people need to
do more to protect Great Lakes’ habitats from pollution.53 People view the lakes as a
source of pride and a natural resource to use and protect, with the majority of people
listing the lakes as beautiful, vital to the region’s economy and a place to go for
recreation and relaxation.54 Residents also recognize that the lakes are not impervious
to danger, as 72% disagree with the statement that the lakes are in no danger of
damage because of their continuing ability to renew themselves as they have for
centuries.55 While people are concerned about the Great Lakes and feel responsible for
protecting them, most people do not understand what they can do to help and whether
their own actions have any impact.56

After conducting the preliminary background research on Great Lakes residents’

attitudes and beliefs regarding the lakes, the Biodiversity Project organized the Great
Lakes Forever campaign around four “umbrellas” of issues: water quality, water supply,
habitat protection and native biodiversity. The umbrella that is of concern for the
purposes of this report is water quality. The group chose to build concern around lower-
profile issues by prefacing them with high-profile issues already in the news. For
example, when educating about runoff, talk about beach closings, fish kills and people
getting sick were considered excellent lead-ins. For this pilot project, two target
audiences were chosen: “Great Lakes Lifestylers,” people who frequently use the lakes
for recreation and cottage-goers, as well as “Engaged frequent voters,” people who may
not care about the lakes, but about community policy. To target their audiences
effectively, Great Lakes Forever placed paid print ads in various Great Lakes lifestyle
magazines and radio ads on the major commercial radio stations in the region, buying
time on stations most likely to be listened to by the two target populations. Twelve of
Wisconsin’s most popular coastal state parks received messages on signs because of

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partnerships with the Wisconsin State Park System. Partnerships with regional
businesses were also utilized, allowing 20,000 drink coasters to be placed in 20
lakeside coastal restaurants, bars and hotels. In addition, a full-page spread of articles
and messages central to the Great Lakes Forever campaign was placed in the 2004
summer guide of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Biodiversity Project also carefully developed their messaging, making sure to phrase the
messages positively by beginning with values defining the threat or problem and then
offering solutions or action. The message for water quality/water pollution is as follows:
“The Great Lakes are one of the natural wonders of the world and it is our responsibility
to protect them. They are a place we call home and a resource for us to use and
protect—they are the heart of the ecosystems that we rely on for life. They are a gift of
nature, whose beauty and bounty enrich our lives and identify our region…Yet polluted
runoff is closing our beaches, our fish are contaminated and people have died from
outbreaks of bacteria in our drinking water. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can all
take steps now to help improve the health of the lakes and prevent future public health
emergencies.” The following solutions are listed: “Get your lawn off drugs: reduce or
eliminate the use of pesticides and fertilizers that end up in rivers and contaminate our
water; buy produce from local farms that work to reduce erosion and the application of
pesticides and fertilizers; conserve water to take the load off aging sewage treatment
plants; support more stringent controls on mercury pollution from coal-burning power
plants.”

In addition to the above-mentioned media techniques, Biodiversity Project had Great

Lakes Media Kits and a web site, and used the Great Lakes Forever campaign to host
three BioBlitz educational events in Wisconsin. BioBlitzes are full-day educational
events that bring scientists and community residents together to determine local species
in their natural habitats. The Great Lakes Forever pilot project had more than 50 partner
organizations in the Wisconsin area alone, and more than 20 policy advisors around the
region to help make Biodiversity Project’s work more effective.

The overall costs for the Great Lakes Media Kit and follow-up releases were $4,650
USD. Twenty-eight percent of web site visitors reported a media story placed by Great
Lakes Forever as their reason for visiting the site. The magazine print ads cost $17,300
USD in total, including design and placement fees. Eight percent of web site survey
respondents reported a magazine print ad as their source for visiting the site. Radio ads
cost $3,500 USD for concept, creative and placement consulting, and $12,000 USD for
four weeks of placement, of up to three times per day, on six major commercial radio
stations, and $4,200 USD for public radio stations for a total of $19,650 USD. Twenty
percent of web site survey respondents reported visiting the site after hearing a radio
ad. Great Lakes “Vulnerable” Posters (see Appendix A) cost $1,397 USD to prepare
and print. Their outcome was not measured, but people responded positively to the
posters. The costs for the preparation, printing, graphic illustrations, and production and
distribution of 121 signs to 12 parks reached a total of $3,500 USD. No web site survey
respondents reported visiting the site after seeing a park sign, and observations indicate
that the signs were not placed properly in all of the parks, which may have been why

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they were less effective. The Great Lakes drink coasters cost a total of $4,050 USD and
were listed by five percent of web survey respondents as the reason for their visit. While
viewing the coasters wasn’t the most popular reason for visiting the web site, the
coasters generated a lot of media interest that helped propel the campaign. The Great
Lakes Annex Comment Postcards were mailed to conservation groups, for a total cost
of $5,900 USD. Over 5,000 of the 19,000 postcards delivered had their comment cards
returned, and attendance at public hearings exceeded the Department of Natural
Resources expectations. The permits, facilities, publicity and travel costs for the
BioBlitzes cost $7,300 USD. Nearly 300 participants learned about biodiversity in their
neighborhood by identifying a total of 1,464 animal and plant species. The events
gained significant media coverage, but no other assessment of their effectiveness is
mentioned. The Great Lakes Forever web site and email newsletter cost a total of $800
USD. Eight thousand people visited the web site during the campaign’s primary months,
for a total of 24,000 page views. Since April 2005, more than 30,000 visitor sessions
have been recorded on the site, but only 177 people (0.5%) responded to the survey
asking about where they had learned about the site, which indicates that there was an
extremely small sample size used to provide the above web site-related descriptions.

The total cost of the Great Lakes Forever campaign was approximately $84,250 USD.
The web site has recorded 30,000 visits, which indicates that the cost per person for
this awareness campaign was $2.80 USD. However, it is likely that many more people
than those who visited the web site were made more aware of Great Lakes issues
through campaign efforts. The Great Lakes Forever campaign did not measure behavior
changes as a result of awareness efforts. Therefore, it is impossible to assess how
effective it was at getting people to adopt sustainable gardening practices, such as
reducing pesticide or fertilizer use.

The Chesapeake Club Spring Media Campaign57

This campaign strongly connects yard care and what many consider the most important
component of any saltwater body—its seafood. The campaign’s slogan is, “Save the
crabs…then eat ‘em,” a simple but catchy phrase that uses humor to capture people’s
attention. The campaign uses TV ads, print ads, and billboards (see Appendix B) to
promote the message that fertilizer should only be applied once in the fall season. In
addition to the awareness portion of the campaign, their web site offers helpful yard
care tips. They suggest taking a soil test to find out the best type and amount of fertilizer
for your yard, applying it properly using only the amount of fertilizer needed. They also
suggest using a slow-release fertilizer that releases nutrients more slowly into the soil,
preventing excess nutrients in your grass and thus in the bay. They encourage using
compost as a soil conditioner and leaving grass clippings on the lawn, which will act as
a natural nitrogen-rich fertilizer. To help people make the right fertilizing choices, the
Chesapeake Club has a very informative but easy to understand fact sheet series (see
Appendix C). In addition, Chesapeake Club offers bay residents of DC, Maryland and
Virginia the “Chesapeake Club Standard” lawn care services by listing a number of lawn
care services on their web site who will provide the good-looking lawn that residents
want, while practicing lawn care techniques that prevent fertilizer from ending up in the
Chesapeake Bay that can kill blue crabs and oysters. Partnerships with lawn care

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companies were created by providing them with publicity and free advertising if they
practiced watershed-friendly lawn care. In addition, the web site lists Chesapeake Club
restaurants, which are restaurants who commit to serving great seafood and saving the
seafood in the bay.

No formal assessments of the effectiveness of the program in altering lawn care

behavior were conducted. However, the Chesapeake Club operates under the larger
umbrella of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which has been attempting to change
behavior in the Chesapeake Bay regions for several years, with 2010 as their due date
to have the bay “restored.”58 The Chesapeake Bay Program annually receives
approximately $20 million USD from the Environmental Protection Agency for its
appropriations.59 There is some indication that the program’s efforts are improving water
and habitat quality in the bay. Submerged aquatic vegetation beds are thriving in some
of Virginia’s western shore freshwater areas, and widgeon and eelgrass beds in the
middle of the bay have rebounded from last year’s late-season loss and are doing
well.60 As well, the volume of oxygen-deprived water in the bay’s main stem in early
August was twice as low as the amount measured at the end of July and lower than the
historical average for early August.61 However, scientists did not attribute the improved
oxygen condition to improved lawn care practices but to the timing of a rain downpour
that may have prevented nutrients in the runoff from affecting the bay.62

Watershed Pledge Program (WPP), Fish, Wildlife & Recreation

Program of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)63
BCIT’s Watershed Pledge Program was instigated in 1999 out of concern for watershed
health. It is designed to encourage community support and involvement around water
resource sustainability and is structured around four key principles: awareness,
education, action and recognition. Home and business residents of the Brunette River
watershed (approx. 175,000 people) are asked to “Take the Pledge” by adopting one or
more of the related behaviors to the following watershed-related activity groups: runoff,
lawn care, in the garden, landscaping, in the home, the car and pets. A person can
pledge to improve their fertilizer-related behaviors under both “lawn care” and “in the
garden” categories. To pledge, a person reads through the seven pledge categories on
the WPP web site. They then fill in their contact information and have the option of
checking off all or some of the 31 behaviors related to all seven above-mentioned
activity groups, committing to making behavior changes. Commitment is one of many
behavior change tools used to motivate people to make behavioral changes. Public
commitment is better than private commitment, and written is better than spoken. This
program uses written commitment, which may convert into a public commitment. Those
who make web-based commitments are subsequently mailed a plaque to display on
their lawn (see Appendix D), as well as a fridge magnet (see Appendix E). If utilized, the
plaque could help foster community lawn care norms, while the magnet can act as a
prompt to remind the person to engage in the sustainable behavior.

Through this program, more than 8,000 booklets have been distributed to homeowners
of the Brunette River watershed and an extra 1,800 to interested citizens in other
communities, schools and at public events.64 From the program’s inception in 1999 to

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2002, approximately 3,700 pledges have been registered, the majority from the greater
Vancouver region.65 There are no formal assessments of this program, but judging by
the community-based techniques they used and the number of pledges registered, the
program has had some impact at least on making people more aware of the issues and
facts about nonpoint-source pollution.66

Edmonds Environmental Services TSOM and TSWM, Halifax County,

Nova Scotia67
Edmonds Environmental Services was established in 1989 as a division of Edmonds
Landscape and Construction Services Limited. Recognizing the need for scientific proof
as to the effectiveness of nonchemical landscape management, Edmonds launched
“Total System Organic Management of Turfs” (TSOM) on the Oaks experimental site at
Saint Mary’s University campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The project involved a series of
experiments to demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of an organic
approach to turf management.

Around the same time, Edmonds was approached by Halifax County to explore
methods to improve the water quality of First Lake in Lower Sackville that did not rely
upon significant expenditures for after-the-fact cleanup of the lake. Edmonds formed
partnerships with local researchers, governments and homeowners of First Lake to
develop the “Total System Watershed Management” (TSWM) project. The project
consisted of two phases. In the Phase 1, TSWM divided 38 households into control and
test groups to measure how organic lawn care practices would impact water quality in
the lake. In Phase 2, TSWM encouraged the entire watershed population of 2,200
households to adopt a number of proactive techniques. They continued with sampling
and analysis of water quality and provided residents with feedback as to the effects of
their household practices on water quality in the lake.

Through TSOM, there was a reduction in pesticide and chemical fertilizer use and a
reduction in spending on water cleanup. Phase 1 of TSWM showed an 80% reduction in
total phosphorous levels and a 50% reduction in fecal coliform bacteria. The two
projects overall resulted in a cost reduction of 10%–15%. Because this program
encouraged more than a reduction in fertilizer use for the improvement of the
watershed, it is difficult to assess how effective the program was at reducing fertilizer
use from Phase 2 of the TSWM project.68

Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN), Florida

FYN is a program organized through the University of Florida Cooperative Extension
Service, with many other supporters including the Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences and Florida’s water management districts.69 70 The program is conducted at
the local level by county extension offices, and there are approximately 44 counties who
sponsor FYN programs. The program is based on the premise that residential yards are
the frontline of defense against groundwater pollution; thus Floridians must reduce the
runoff of harmful fertilizers and restore more natural habitats.71 FYN encourages
homeowners to landscape to reduce water consumption and minimize or eliminate
fertilizer and pesticide use.72 They encourage nine landscaping principles: right plant,

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right place; water efficiently; mulch correctly; recycle; fertilize appropriately; manage
yard pests responsibly; attract wildlife; reduce stormwater; and live responsibly on the
water.73 The program educates by answering three important questions: (1) Will it save
me money? (2) Will it save me time? and (3) Will I have a better product?74 Program
leaders help homeowners set goals for their yards and consider how much time and
money they want to spend mowing and fertilizing grass.75 After encouraging
homeowners to set goals, they educate residents through community outreach and free
water-friendly, Florida-friendly workshops.76 Workshops are held at the community level
and are sponsored by a city or county water utility.77 They also distribute
environmentally friendly landscaping instructional booklets and brochures.78 Crucial to
the program’s success is overcoming the stereotype that water-friendly yards are rocky
and unattractive.79 Residents are given an extra incentive to plant Florida-friendly yards
because they can certify their lawns and receive a sign that can be displayed in their
yard (see Appendix F). Such signs may help to foster norms within the neighborhood as
well.80

The FYN handbook provides everything a person needs to know to create his or her
own “Florida Yard.”81 The handbook offers tips on saving costs, environmentally friendly
landscaping and advice on how to reduce water, fertilizer and pesticide use. It also
provides tips for working with neighbors to share costs and labor.82 The section on
fertilizer suggests compost as the first alternative to consider, but also highly
recommends a slow-release, water-insoluble nitrogen and other essential nutrient
fertilizer.83 The handbook presents it as “the most environmentally safe and cost-
effective alternative.”84 It does mention that water-insoluble nitrogen fertilizers usually
cost more, but that fewer applications will be needed and that in the end, a few dollars
can make a big difference in protecting Florida’s water.85

Since the program’s inception in Orange County in 1999, over 12,000 people have
attended FYN workshops and presentations.86 Participants are given surveys to fill out
at the workshops, as a pre-workshop assessment of lawn care knowledge and
practices, and receive post-surveys in the mail six months later to measure whether the
workshops helped to change targeted behavior.87 Forty-nine percent of the 700 post-
surveys mailed to attendees for workshops between 2002–2003 in Orange, Lake and
Seminole counties were returned within three weeks of delivery.88 The survey
responses were very positive, indicating that 100% would recommend the FYN program
to a friend, family member or neighbor. Many suggested that the program be made
mandatory for all new Floridians.89 More than 50% expressed appreciation to the utilities
who sponsor the FYN programs, were impressed with the information they received in
the workshop and said they were reducing their watering consumption and using less
fertilizers and chemicals, all while remaining satisfied with the appearance of their
lawns.90 More quantitative evaluations of FYN were not available. Because separate
counties run the program, there was no overall indication of the program’s budget.91

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Fertilizer Pilot
An effective strategy should simultaneously encourage a reduction in fertilizer use and a
switch to slow-release fertilizers. As a consequence, the proposed strategy tackles both
of these behaviors simultaneously. Further, the suggested methods can also be utilized
to tackle concurrently reducing pesticide use (please review the pesticide reduction
strategy, as both can be combined to reduce overall costs and labor).

Reducing fertilizer use will necessitate: (1) informing homeowners of the risks that are
associated with overfertilizing lawns; (2) making it convenient for a homeowner to
determine what type and amount of fertilizer to apply and how often; (3) increasing
social pressure to reduce fertilizer use; and (4) making it convenient to obtain a slow-
release fertilizer.

Communicating Risks: Messages regarding the risks associated with fertilizer overuse
are best conveyed by a source that is perceived to be credible. Sources who are
credible have both expertise on the topic and are perceived to be trustworthy. Personal
conversations are likely to be the most effective in altering perceptions of the safety of
fertilizers. More specifically, door-to-door visits by a credible source, such as a
horticulturalist, may be sufficient to alter homeowners’ perceptions. Face-to-face
conversations are suggested due to their advantages over conducting workshops or
running advertisements. Workshops are often not well attended and reach primarily
those who are most interested in the topic. While advertisements can have a substantial
reach, they often produce little or no behavior change.

It is suggested that a horticulturalist would go door-to-door in the late winter or very

early spring requesting to speak to the homeowner who either looks after the lawn or
who decides what lawn care company to hire. Since men perform most lawn care, it is
suggested that the individual who goes door-to-door also be a male. This individual
should be wearing photo identification and clothing that indicates that he is a municipal
employee. The conversation should underscore that not only can fertilizers be harmful
to the environment, but when improperly used, they also hinder having an attractive
lawn. Since many homeowners are motivated to have an attractive lawn, this message
is likely to capture the attention of the homeowner.

Determining the Type of Fertilizer to Apply and How Often: The door-to-door visits
provide a unique opportunity to provide homeowners with a service that can be done
quickly and is likely to be seen as valuable by the homeowner. One challenge that is
faced by all homeowners who self-apply fertilizer is knowing how much should be
applied and how often. To answer this question requires that the owner know the
square footage of both their front and back yards. To facilitate this knowledge, the
owner can be offered a free service in which the front and back yards are measured and
a label is applied to their spreader indicating the appropriate amount of fertilizer that

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should be applied to both yards. This sticker should also include a reminder to use only
slow-release fertilizer and the frequency with which it should be used.

Increasing Social Pressure to Reduce Fertilizer Use: As with pesticide use, fertilizer
applications are tied to homeowners’ desire to have an attractive lawn and their
perceptions that others in the community expect them to have an attractive lawn.
Fortunately, it is easier to have an attractive lawn while reducing fertilizer use than it is
to have an attractive lawn and reduce pesticide use. While the latter involves adopting a
variety of alternative lawn care practices, reducing fertilizer use and switching to slow-
release fertilizers can, as noted earlier in this report, be accomplished quite easily.

After explaining both the importance of reducing fertilizer use and switching to a slow-
release fertilizer, the homeowner should be asked if they will make a commitment to
reduce their fertilizer use as well as switch to slow-release. Since both actions are
“invisible” in the larger community, it is important to ensure that homeowners who elect
to change their fertilizer use are recognizable. This can be easily accomplished by
asking if a sticker can be applied to their recycling container, which indicates that they
are reducing their fertilizer use to protect water resources (the actual message should
be market-tested). Affixing a sticker to the side of a recycling container makes the
behavior of the homeowner visible to the larger community and increases the likelihood
of residents discussing fertilizer use (social diffusion) as well as the development of an
expectation that this is a socially expected behavior (social norms). It is suggested that
if the homeowner consents to having the sticker attached to their recycling container,
that he or she be told that the sticker will be placed on the container on the next
recycling day and that the homeowner be asked to remember to put their recycling
container out on that day. Asking homeowners to apply the sticker themselves will result
in substantially fewer stickers being applied.

If the homeowner has fertilizer applied by a lawn care company, they should be asked
to make a commitment to ensure that the company is only applying slow-release
fertilizer and with the appropriate frequency. Certifying local lawn care companies with
respect to fertilizer application and developing a brand that applies to this certification
can facilitate this. Lawn care companies should be asked to include this brand in their
advertising so that homeowners can easily determine that they provide this service. To
further enhance knowledge of this brand, the recycling container sticker should carry
this brand.

Making it Convenient to Purchase a Slow-Release Fertilizer: The home visits also

provide the opportunity for the homeowner to purchase a slow-release fertilizer without
having to go to a local store. By providing the opportunity to purchase a slow-release
fertilizer directly, the likelihood of its use can be increased dramatically over requiring
the homeowner to go to a store to purchase it. The purpose of providing the homeowner
with the opportunity to purchase the slow-release fertilizer directly is that it greatly
enhance the likelihood that the slow-release fertilizer will be used — providing the
owner with firsthand experience that an attractive lawn can be had with this product.

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 13

In addition to providing the homeowner with the opportunity to directly purchase slow-
release fertilizer, they should also be informed that local stores carry slow-release
fertilizer and that they can identify the appropriate fertilizer to use by prompts that will be
displayed in front of the product. These prompts would, of course, carry the brand noted
above. This will, of course, necessitate working with local retailers to showcase slow-
release fertilizers and have the brand be associated with them.

Pilot Evaluation
To assess the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, it is suggested that three pilot
areas be selected in three different communities. Random assignment of households
cannot be used with this pilot, as the development of social norms regarding fertilizer
use is a key part of the methodology. As a consequence, the three areas selected in
each of these three communities need to be matched closely based upon factors such
as property values, size of lots and social-economic data. In addition, the stormwater
system for each pilot area has to service just the pilot area. In order to evaluate the
effectiveness of this pilot strategy, it is essential to be able to monitor nitrogen,
phosphate and potassium in the stormwater system for each of the pilot areas and to be
able to do so with the knowledge that levels of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium
recorded in the stormwater system are originating in the pilot areas and nowhere else.
Due to the importance of this requirement, the size of the pilot area has not been
specified, as it will have to be determined instead by the ability to meet this requirement.
In other words, each household in the area serviced by the stormwater system will be a
member of the pilot area. Every attempt should be made to have these pilot areas be as
close as possible in size.

Each of the three community areas would be randomly assigned into one of three pilot
conditions: (1) the proposed pilot set out above; (2) receiving information about fertilizer
use via a direct mail or drop-off campaign; and (3) the control group, where no
information is provided or contact made with households.

The primary form of evaluation will be based upon measurements of nitrogen,

phosphate and potassium in the stormwater system after rain events. Ideally, these
values should be recorded for the spring, summer and fall before the pilot is put in place
to establish a baseline for these three community areas prior to conducting the pilot.
These values would then be recorded for the year that the pilot was enacted and for one
or more years afterward to ascertain if homeowners are continuing to alter their
behavior. In addition, electronic inventory data for the purchase of slow-release fertilizer
should be sought from the participating stores, though this data is likely to be
inconclusive given the size of the pilot areas relative to the size of the communities from
which they are drawn. Finally, the lawn care companies that are certified as providing
slow-release services should be asked to provide information on the number of homes
in the pilot areas that requested slow-release services relative to the percentage of
homes that requested these services in areas outside the pilot areas. This information
should be sought for each of the three communities.

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 14

Endnotes

1
McDonald, D.K. (1999). Pg.iii . Ecologically sound lawn care for the pacific northwest. Seattle Public
Utilities.http://www.seattle.gov/util/stellent/groups/public/@spu/@csb/documents/webcontent/ecological_20031202
1255394.pdf
2
Ibid. pg..7
3
Ibid. pg.8
4
Ibid. pg.8
5
Carpenter, S.R. et al. (1998). Pg.1. Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecological
Applications, 8(3), 559-568.
6
Ibid. pg.561
7
Ibid. pg.562
8
Ibid. pg.562
9
U.S. EPA. (1990). Cited in Ibid. pg.562
10
U.S. EPA (1996). Cited in Ibid. pg.562
11
Hallegraef. (1993). Cited in Ibid. pg.562
12
Shumway. (1990). Ibid. pg.562
13
Anderson. (1994). Ibid. pg.562
14
Carpenter, S.R. et al. (1998). Pg.562
15
Ibid. pg.562; Hairston, J.E. (1992). Pg.3-4
16
Amduru et. Al. (1991). Cited in Ibid. p.562
17
Hairston, J.E. (1992). Pg. 3-4. Animal waste and water quality. Extension Environmental Education. Auburn
University, AL. http://www.aces.edu/crd/publications/wtrqlty/wq-animalwaste.pdf
18
Ibid. pg.562; Hairston, J.E. (1992). Pg. 4
19
Sandstedt. (1990); Amdur et al. (1991). Cited in Ibid. p.562
20
Hairston, J.E. (1992). Pg.4
21
Carpenter, S.R. et al. (1998). Pg.562
22
U.S. EPA (1990). Cited in Ibid. pg. 564
23
Garn, H.S. (2002). Pg.1 Effects of lawn fertilizer on nutrient concentration in runoff from lakeshore lawns,
Lauderdale lakes, Wisconsin. USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4130.
http://wi.water.usgs.gov/pubs/wrir-02-4130/wrir-02-4130.pdf
24
Ibid. pg.1
25
Ibid. pg. 6
26
Ibid. pg.6
27
Ibid. pg.6
28
Ibid. pg.7
29
Ibid. pg.7
30
Swann, C. (undated). A survey of resident nutrient behavior in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Center for
Watershed Protection. http://www.epa.gov/ORD/WebPubs/nctuw/Swann.pdf
31
Ibid.
32
McDonald, D.K. (1999). pg.35
33
Go for Green. (2002). Pg.2. Forum on public education strategies to encourage gardening for life: Background
paper. Go for Green: The Active Living and Environment Program.
http://www.goforgreen.ca/gardening/pdf/Background%20Paper.PDF
34
Ibid. pg.35
35
Ibid. pg.35
36
Ibid. pg.35
37
Ibid. pg.35
38
Ibid. pg.35
39
Ibid. pg. 231
40
NEETF. National Environmental Education Training Foundation. (1999). Cited in Ibid. pg.231
41
Syferd, 1995 and Assing, 1994). Cited in: (undated). Pollution prevention fact sheet: Landscaping and lawn care.
http://www.stormwatercenter.net/Pollution_Prevention_Factsheets/

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 15

LandscapingandLawnCare.htm
42
(Morris and Traxler, 1996 and MCSR, 1997). Cited in: Ibid.
43
Biodiversity Project (2004). Pg. 25 Great lakes forever 2004 Wisconsin pilot project evaluation report.
http://www.biodiversityproject.org/glfevaluation2004.pdf
44
De Young. (1997). Cited in pollution prevention factsheet, stormwater center.
45
Ibid.
46
Swann, C. (Undated). Pg.231
47
Ibid. pg.231
48
Ibid. pg. 231
49
Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). (2005). A resident’s guide to natural yard care for the lower
mainland. http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/water/pdfs/NaturalYardCare_12_2005.pdf
50
University of Minnesota Extension Service. (2006). Slow release fertilizers.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/1731-16.html
51
Neal, C. (undated). Slow-release fertilizers for home gardens and landscapes. University of New Hampshire
Cooperative Extension. http://extension.unh.edu/Pubs/HGPubs/slowfert.pdf
52
All information in the following section taken from: http://www.biodiversityproject.org/glfevaluation2004.pdf
53
Beldon Russonello & Stewart and Research/Strategy/Management (R/S/M). (2003). Pg. 2
Great lakes: Responsibility and awareness about a vital resource. http://www.biodiversityproject.org/
GLSummaryAnalysis.PDF
54
Ibid. pg.2
55
Ibid. pg.3
56
Ibid. pg.3
57
All information regarding this program, unless otherwise referenced, from: Chesapeake Club, 2005.
http://www.chesapeakeclub.org/media.htm
58
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/restrtn.htm
59
Voelker, Joshua. (Sept. 8, 2006). Personal Communication. E-mail: [email protected].
60
Chesapeake Bay Program’s News and Info. (2006). SAV Beds Show Improvement in Parts of Middle Bay,
Virginia Tributaries http://www.chesapeakebay.net/newssav080906.htm
61
Chesapeake Bay Program’s News and Info. (2006). Early August dissolved oxygen levels better than expected.
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/newsdo083006.htm
62
Ibid.
63
All information in the following section, unless otherwise referenced, from: Watershed Pledge Program.
(Undated). http://commons.bcit.ca/watershed/intro.html
64
Pollution Prevention Canadian Success Stories. (2003). Environment Canada.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pp/en/storyoutput.cfm?storyid=92
65
Ibid.
66
Program Contact: Tom Saare, BCIT’s Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Program, 3700 Willingdon Ave, Vancouver,
BC V5G 3H2. (phone) (604) 432-8750, (fax) (604) 432-9046, (e-mail) [email protected].
67
All information in the following section from: Pollution Prevention Canadian Success Stories. (2001). Edmonds
environmental services. Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/pp/en/storyoutput.cfm?
storyid=30
68
Program Contact: John Connors, 2675 Clifton St. Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 4V4. (phone) (902) 453-5500, (fax)
(902) 455-9956, (e-mail) [email protected].
69
Alexander, A. et al. (2006). Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/fyn/
handbook.pdf
70
Taylor, P.L. (2002). Florida yards and neighbors program: Sowing seeds of protection. Florida’s Springs, Florida
Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.floridasprings.org/protection/success/yards/
71
Ibid.
72
Ibid.
73
Watkins, T. (2004). Florida yards and neighborhoods: A win-win situation.
http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu/AWWA.pdf
74
Watkins, T. (2004).
75
Taylor, P.L. (2002).
76
Ibid.
77
Watkins, T. (2004).

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 16

78
Ibid.
79
Ibid.
80
Ibid.
81
Garner, S. et. al (Undated). Florida yards and neighborhoods: The first line of defense. A guide to environmentally
friendly landscaping: Florida yards and neighborhoods handbook. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP079
82
Ibid.
83
Ibid.
84
Ibid.
85
Ibid.
86
Ibid.
87
Ibid.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
90
Ibid.
91
Program Contact: Teresa Watkins, Orange County Extension, 2350 E. Michigan Street, Orlando, FL 32608.
(Phone) 407-836-7570, (E-mail) [email protected] (Web-site) http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu/

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 17

Appendices

Appendix A

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 18

 Appendix B

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 19

 Appendix C

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 20

 Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 21

McKenzie-Mohr & Associates 22