Coalition Launches Media Campaign to Promote Chemical-Free Lawns

Hillsboro, OR — June 6, 2005 — When spring rains cause grass and weeds to grow, many in the Northwest turn their attention to how their lawns look. Clean Water Services is working with a bi-state coalition of stormwater utilities and local governments, urging gardeners to consider alternatives before applying chemicals like weed and feed to their lawns.

A public awareness campaign organized by the Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams promotes chemical-free lawns that are healthier for families and the environment. The campaign runs through June with a series of newspaper, radio and transit ads focusing on the message “Is your lawn chemical free? Maybe it should be.”

“The only fertilizer we use on our lawns is compost,” said Aloha residents and neighbors Robin Wendlandt and Barbara McDonald. Without a fence separating their back yards, the neighbors share a stream, a yard and a mutual concern for the health of their watershed. “We used almost completely native plants like Sword Fern, Bleeding Heart and Evergreen Huckleberry. Native plants require minimal care, are suited to the natural surroundings and are drought tolerant.”

Chemicals in many common lawn care products can have a negative impact on the health of people, pets and the region’s waterways. Pesticides can stay on a lawn where children and pets play for weeks, and be tracked into homes. Rains wash chemicals into local streams and rivers, degrading water quality for fish and wildlife.

The education campaign reminds gardeners that there are simple, low-cost alternatives to chemicals that can build a healthier lawn. Composting, aerating and thatching can help build healthy soil. Watering infrequently but deeply promotes a strong root system for a lawn. Planting the right kind of grass and using native plants help to make a garden more resistant to insects and drought conditions.

The campaign is timed to coincide with the early gardening season, when many homeowners
make lawn care decisions. Campaign ads encourage residents to call for a free healthy lawn kit, which
includes gardening gloves, native seeds and natural lawn care tips. Information and referral phone
numbers for residents of both Oregon (503/681-5177) and Washington (360/397-6464) are provided.
Healthy lawn care information is available 24 hours a day at the Coalition’s website,
www.cleanriversandstreams.org.

"The feedback we get from citizens is that most of them want to help reduce pollution and protect their rivers and streams," said Mark Jockers, Public Affairs Manager for Clean Water Services. “Our campaign offers practical suggestions for things people can do around the home to improve water quality. By avoiding pesticides on their lawns, residents not only protect water quality for fish and wildlife, they also protect their personal health and the health of their family and pets.”

Coalition members include Clean Water Services, City of Gresham, City of Portland, City of Vancouver, Clark County, Clean River Partners of Clackamas County, Metro, and Multnomah County.

Clean Water Services is the sanitary sewer and surface water management utility for more than 480,000 people in urban Washington County and small portions of Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Lake Oswego, and Portland. Clean Water Services operates four wastewater treatment plants, constructs and maintains flood management and water quality projects and manages flow in the Tualatin River to improve water quality and protect fish habitat. Although Clean Water Services maintains a close working relationship with Washington County government, it is a separately managed and financed public utility

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