Sununu Vetoes Fertilizer Bill

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Disappointed, but not defeated. Lake folks concerned about cyanobacteria packed the Moultonborough Town Library last Wednesday night for a presentation by Pat Tarpey, president of the Lake Winnipesaukee Association. During the meeting, attendees were told Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a bill that sought to regulate the use of certain fertilizers on lawn turf. Click the link below to read Paula Tracy's coverage from InDepthNH.

https://indepthnh.org/2024/08/01/at-...rtilizer-bill/

*This meeting was not able to be recorded or streamed.

More Info on the Veto

Copy of Bill Passed by House/Senate

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Lake Winnipesaukee Assoc

Disappointed, but not defeated. Lake folks concerned about cyanobacteria packed the Moultonborough Town Library last Wednesday night for a presentation by Pat Tarpey, president of the Lake Winnipesaukee Association. During the meeting, attendees were told Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a bill that sought to regulate the use of certain fertilizers on lawn turf. Click the link below to read Paula Tracy's coverage from InDepthNH.

https://indepthnh.org/2024/08/01/at-...rtilizer-bill/

*This meeting was not able to be recorded or streamed.

More Info on the Veto

Copy of Bill Passed by House/Senate

Not surprised.

[John Mercier]

Some of this we can get done without a law.

[swnoel]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Some of this we can get done without a law.

It always amazes me how many people need a law to stop them from doing something harmful. Course laws won't stop it either...

[BroadHopper]

I snitched on a few of my McMansion neighbors. Nothing became of it. Maybe law enforcement should do their job. Better yet, go after the landscapers instead of the landowners. Oh, wait! Some of the landscapers came from outside the region! I guess we can't win!

[secondcurve]

I agree that most people will do the right thing. However, there are individuals who are uninformed and don’t realize what they are doing. And then there is a cohort who doesn’t give a damn and will do what they want. On top of all this is substantial population growth. The result of these factors is a lake whose water quality is in severe decline. I think a huge percentage of the population wants to protect the lake so why not put in place laws, regulations, fines and heavy messaging?

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I snitched on a few of my McMansion neighbors. Nothing became of it. Maybe law enforcement should do their job. Better yet, go after the landscapers instead of the landowners. Oh, wait! Some of the landscapers came from outside the region! I guess we can't win!

Maybe we need to handle it like Singapore handles littering? Public a55 whippings. It’s amazing how clean Singapore is and how everyone knows the law!

[SAMIAM]

I’m willing to bet that bet that there would be voluntary compliance if someone who represents the various lakes organizations approached all the major landscapers such as Belknap,Stephans,Miracle Farms etc. and asked to limit the use of fertilizers on lake front properties….and perhaps remind them how many of our members use their services.
Waterfront owners are a big part of their business and I think they would see the value of helping out

[tis]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I’m willing to bet that bet that there would be voluntary compliance if someone who represents the various lakes organizations approached all the major landscapers such as Belknap,Stephans,Miracle Farms etc. and asked to limit the use of fertilizers on lake front properties….and perhaps remind them how many of our members use their services.
Waterfront owners are a big part of their business and I think they would see the value of helping out

The landscapers that I know already use the lake safe fertilizer. I thought there was already a law that they had to.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I’m willing to bet that bet that there would be voluntary compliance if someone who represents the various lakes organizations approached all the major landscapers such as Belknap,Stephans,Miracle Farms etc. and asked to limit the use of fertilizers on lake front properties….and perhaps remind them how many of our members use their services.
Waterfront owners are a big part of their business and I think they would see the value of helping out

I was thinking more of them reaching out to us in the local retail industry.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by tis

The landscapers that I know already use the lake safe fertilizer. I thought there was already a law that they had to.

There is a law that fertilizers are not to be used within 50-feet of the water.

Haven't you noticed how emerald-green lawns fade to yellow near the shoreline?

Me neither...

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I was thinking more of them reaching out to us in the local retail industry.

Last week at their Wolfeboro cyanobacteria talk LWA said they had reached out to retailers, but with limited success. Most fertilizer in stores still includes phosphorous. They said they were still working on this, but the veto makes it a lot tougher.

I know from your posts that you work at a hardware (or building?) store. Do you carry fertilizer with phosphorous? How does it sell compared to non-phosphorous fertilizer?

[John Mercier]

We sell nearly no fertilizer in Bristol.
We do have Scotts Triple Builder Seed Starter on the shelf, and some Scotts Fall (Step 4) which have high phosphorus levels... along with small packages of repair seed (those generally have fertilizer premixed with them for starter).

For Bristol we are more likely to see 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 transferred from our Newport store for starting pasture.

We do many years sell a lot of pasture seed (uncoated) for overseeding in the fall; but no one adds fertilizer to that.

Meredith should have Bonide, with the phosphorous-free version for the winterizer (Fall Step 4); and soil test kits to check and see if you even need seed starter.

But we don't have anything for consistent signage that consumers could rely on to make a choice.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by swnoel

It always amazes me how many people need a law to stop them from doing something harmful. Course laws won't stop it either...

1) Speaking of pasture, the initial cyanobacteria warning included Tuftonboro Neck and perhaps Cow Island.

Certain insects encountered around Tuftonboro Neck suggest that farmland for hooved animals reside there, and may contribute to the problem of cyanobacteria.

2) Nearly everything sold has a California tag that reads, "This product is made from chemicals that may cause cancer".

Annoying, but NH could pass a law requiring a large sticker be placed on fertilizers sold in NH--warning that employment near lakeshores is environmentally unsafe.

3) While they are at it, require a large-font printing of relevant and unique NH laws be placed on the back of all PFDs (life preservers) sold in NH. It could catch on with other states.

Maybe such an alert could convey the laws violated to a banana-yellow oversized ocean-racer who bombed both ways through the four miles of dense boat traffic in Winter Harbor on Sunday?

[SAB1]

Originally Posted by ApS

1) Speaking of pasture, the initial cyanobacteria warning included Tuftonboro Neck and perhaps Cow Island.


Certain insects encountered around Tuftonboro Neck suggest that farmland for hooved animals reside there, and may contribute to the problem of cyanobacteria.

2) Nearly everything sold has a California tag that reads, "This product is made from chemicals that may cause cancer".

Annoying, but NH could pass a law requiring a large sticker be placed on fertilizers sold in NH--warning that employment near lakeshores is environmentally unsafe.

3) While they are at it, require a large-font printing of relevant and unique NH laws be placed on the back of all PFDs (life preservers) sold in NH. It could catch on with other states.

Maybe such an alert could convey the laws violated to a banana-yellow oversized ocean-racer who bombed both ways through the four miles of dense boat traffic in Winter Harbor on Sunday?

That would require people to read the label and most wouldn't bother.....we live in the instant gratification world now people grab what they need and move on. If there's a label with warnings on it and the store doesn't have the correct alternative you know what's being grabbed. Sounds negative but there are alot folks that don't really care.

[Blyblvrd]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I’m willing to bet that bet that there would be voluntary compliance if someone who represents the various lakes organizations approached all the major landscapers such as Belknap,Stephans,Miracle Farms etc. and asked to limit the use of fertilizers on lake front properties….and perhaps remind them how many of our members use their services.

Waterfront owners are a big part of their business and I think they would see the value of helping out

We use Stephens and at an LWA talk last year I inquired about our house and the effect it has on Winnipesaukee and their response was that Stephen’s is a great landscaper that designs, implements and maintains properties that protect the lake.


Sent from my iPad using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[tis]

Originally Posted by ApS

1) Speaking of pasture, the initial cyanobacteria warning included Tuftonboro Neck and perhaps Cow Island.

Certain insects encountered around Tuftonboro Neck suggest that farmland for hooved animals reside there, and may contribute to the problem of cyanobacteria.

2) Nearly everything sold has a California tag that reads, "This product is made from chemicals that may cause cancer".

Annoying, but NH could pass a law requiring a large sticker be placed on fertilizers sold in NH--warning that employment near lakeshores is environmentally unsafe.

3) While they are at it, require a large-font printing of relevant and unique NH laws be placed on the back of all PFDs (life preservers) sold in NH. It could catch on with other states.

Maybe such an alert could convey the laws violated to a banana-yellow oversized ocean-racer who bombed both ways through the four miles of dense boat traffic in Winter Harbor on Sunday?

Did you hear the exact location of the cyanobacteria present before the 4th on Tuftonboro Neck and Winter Harbor?

[ApS]

This site shows the huge area--including Rattlesnake Island--affected on the "quiet side" of Lake Winnipesaukee:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboar...571b222c78447b

Alton Bay is also an "area of concern".