An Assessment of Residential Homeowners' Perceptions and Adherence to Local Fertilizer Ordinances and Support of Proposed Ordinance Changes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Non-point source pollution (NPS) is a major contributor to the declining health of surface waters in the United States. A key initiative of water pollution management by municipalities nationwide is the effective control of NPS pollution from the residential sector. The Chesapeake Bay is suffering from deteriorating water quality due to the excessive input of nutrients stemming from over-fertilization. To mitigate impaired water quality requires effective policies and management approaches that will reduce the quantity of pollutants discharged into the Bay and other waterbodies. Hence, growing numbers of municipalities have or are considering the adoption of fertilizer ordinances to effectively manage NPS pollution from residential landscapes.;Environmental policies such as fertilizer ordinances influence the use, cost and application of fertilizers to residential lawns, or public facilities such as golf courses, parks and sporting fields. These ordinances play a role in the development of water pollution policies and initiatives aimed at controlling NPS pollution. However, policies to address this issue remain underexplored in the literature, and highlights the need for jurisdictions to consider and incorporate the opinions and concerns of homeowners in their efforts to develop successful water pollution control plans.;The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions and adherence of residential homeowners towards local fertilizer ordinances and their willingness to support proposed fertilizer ordinances in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Using a multimode survey approach, a selected sample of residents in the Tidewater (coastal) region of Virginia was employed to collect information on the extent of fertilizer use, fertilizer and irrigation frequency, awareness and knowledge of local fertilizer ordinances, decision-making influences with respect to fertilizer application, motivators for residential maintenance decisions, and support for proposed ordinances.;Based on the findings of this study, residents personally engaged in residential activities involving the application of fertilizers and the irrigation of their lawns and gardens. Although a minimal percentage of homeowners employed the services of professional lawn care providers, residents applied fertilizers on their own accord and without much discretion. This study also determined that some uncertainty existed as to the appropriate use of fertilizers, as homeowners were unaware of appropriate statewide recommended fertilizer application rates and times. Research data revealed that not only do these residents have relatively little knowledge of local fertilizer ordinances in their county, but that existing fertilizer ordinances are poorly understood by residents, they were not aware of the requirements contained in current fertilizer ordinances, nor of the benefits they provide in managing NPS pollution from residential landscapes. However, residents agreed that they would be willing to support future fertilizer ordinances and comply with ordinance regulations.;Watersheds such as the Chesapeake Bay are a dynamic and productive water resource that supports a healthy ecosystem. This study provided a heightened awareness about the nature of involvement of local citizens in decision making to improve water quality. Our results suggested that such increased participatory roles of citizens provides new approaches in the shaping of existing policies and in the direction of future decision making processes on environmental policies.