How to Follow the City’s Landcare Ordinance
Longfellow Elementary students practicing topdressing with compost, a City Landcare Ordinance recommendation.
The City of Portland enacted a Landcare Ordinance that restricts the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on public and private property to protect the health of our waterways, residents, pets, and natural ecosystems.
Using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers:
harm pollinators and native species
worsen water quality
increase ocean acidification
grow algae blooms
harm marine life and impacts local fisheries and marine businesses
can lead to increased health issues with children and pets as they play outside
HOW THE ORDINACE AFFECTS YOU
The Landcare Ordinance covers
lawns
vegetable and ornamental gardens
landscaped areas
patios, sidewalks, and driveways
parks and playing fields
If you currently use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers to manage any of the above areas, you must transition to organic landcare practices. If you use a landcare professional to manage the areas, be sure to speak with them about organic landcare practices that do not include synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. In general, only products labeled "OMRI certified" or "acceptable for organic use" are permitted. Even allowed pesticides and fertilizers are not permitted within 75 feet of a water body or wetland within the City.
Organic fertilizers are allowed when a comprehensive soil test conducted within the same calendar year indicates a need for nitrogen and/or phosphorus. Applications of organic fertilizer may not contain nutrients in excess of the amount recommended by the completed soil test.
Soil test kits are available from:
University of Maine Cooperative Extension-Cumberland County (75 Clearwater Drive, Falmouth)
Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (35 Main Street, Windham)
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (306 US-1, Scarborough)
Regional garden centers
If you are unable to pick one up, one can be mailed to you; order here.
Learn from UMaine Cooperative Extension the best time to test your soil, how to sample your soil, and where to send your soil for analysis.
PESTICIDE AND FERTILIZER DISPOSAL
If you have pesticides and fertilizers that you need to dispose of:
Riverside Recycling Facility accepts household hazardous waste on the 1st Saturday of the month (April through November) from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Portland E-Card holders may dispose of up to 10 gallons of household hazardous waste (HHW) annually with a maximum of two visits at no charge. Get more information from the Riverside Recycling Facility page.
Maine Board of Pesticides Control collects and properly disposes banned and unusable pesticides from homeowners and farms each October. Registration is required and collections are held at four sites across the state. Visit Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry for more information.