For the past fifty years, increasing population growth in urbanized areas has impacted natural resources and the environment. Landscaping and lawn care are now a major industry in the United States. Estimates are that there are 25 to 30 million acres of turf and lawn in the U.S. (Roberts and Roberts, 1989 and Lawn and Landscape Institute, 1999). Lawn care and landscaping are done across the country, in all types of climates, at all times during the year, and in every type of community from rural to urban. The NAICS code for landscaping services (except planning) is 561730. There is no SIC code for landscaping.

Landscaping, lawn care, and garden maintenance activities can be major contributors to pollution, particularly water pollution. Soils, yard wastes, over-watering and overuse of garden chemicals become part of the urban runoff mix that makes its way through streets, gutters, and storm drains before entering the watershed, rivers, ponds, and even the ocean. Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides can also be washed off lawns and landscaped areas. These chemicals not only kill unwanted garden invaders, but they can also harm useful insects, family pets, poison wildlife and fish, and contaminate ground and ocean water. In addition, when homes (and many businesses) are built, new landscape plants are selected, planted and then maintained, typically by applying or over-applying chemicals and water. This has resulted in more pesticides, nutrients and herbicides going into urban storm drainage as confirmed by monitoring of local waterways. Many people are unaware that native and adapted plants require little or no pesticides and fertilizers and also consume less water. Individuals are also unaware that their actions can result in pollutants being discharged in runoff to local waterways.

Pollution prevention (P2) measures related to landscaping and lawn care (also known as environmentally-beneficial landscaping) entails utilizing techniques that complement and enhance the local environment and seek to minimize the adverse effects that the landscaping will have on it. In particular this means using regionally-native plants and employing landscaping practices and technologies that conserve water and prevent pollution.

Many of these landscaping practices will benefit the environment, as well as generate long-term costs savings for homeowners and lawn care businesses. For example, the use of native plants not only protects our natural heritage and provides wildlife habitat, but also can reduce fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation demands and their associated costs because native plants are better suited to the local environment and climate.

These practices include:

1. use regionally native plants for landscaping;
2. design, use, or promote construction practices that minimize adverse effects on the natural habitat;
3. seek to prevent pollution by, among other things, reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, using integrated pest management techniques, recycling green waste, and minimizing runoff;
4. implement water-efficient practices, such as the use of mulches, efficient irrigation systems, audits to determine exact landscaping water-use needs, and recycled or reclaimed water and the selecting and placement of plants in a manner that conserves water and controls soil erosion. Landscaping practices, such as planting regionally-native shade trees around buildings to reduce air conditioning demands, can also provide innovative measures to meet the energy consumption reduction goals.

EPA Region 6 Specific Information
Louisiana:
In Louisiana, protecting the environment is important to safeguard food products and natural resources. Lumber, the main agricultural product, along with beef cattle, rice, soybeans, dairy products, and sugarcane require healthy environments in order to achieve their potential growth. Since Louisiana is the national leader in fishery products (shrimp, crawfish, tuna, blue crab, etc.), and because fishing is year round, clean water is a necessity.

Arkansas:
As the nickname, the Natural State, implies, more than half of Arkansas is covered by forests and water. Lots of people visit Arkansas to enjoy its natural beauty. This boost to the economy is one reason why Arkansas residents want to preserve and protect the unique resources of the "Natural State." An average climate provides the perfect mix for the main agricultural products: rice, soybean, maize, and poultry.

Oklahoma:
Oklahoma, the leading state of manmade lakes, has a diverse setting from grassy plains to forests and rolling mountains. Pollution can have disastrous effects on these resources. The major crops--wheat, hay, and cotton--and main agricultural products--cattle, dairy products, and poultry--can also suffer from pollution. Prevention is the key to a healthy environment.

New Mexico:
New Mexico's dry climate and high altitude make the State popular with retirees, asthma patients, and astronomers. Its striking southwestern vistas are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. However, many of New Mexico's main industries (cattle, sheep, and irrigated farming of cotton, hay, and peanuts) combined with lots of sunshine and hot, dry summers, make ozone exceedances in cities a concern. New Mexico residents are also concerned about the best way to sustain the development of minerals (the State's richest natural resource) without sacrificing the delicate balance of the semi-arid environment.

Texas:
Because Texas is one of the most heavily populated states with substantial agriculture and industry, keeping pollution under control is a serious matter. Main agricultural products are beef cattle, poultry, rice, pecans, and peanuts. Texas leads the nation in oil, cattle, sheep, and cotton production. All of these products, if not carefully managed, can damage the air, land, and water. Water quality is a vital concern, especially in the semi-arid western plains. As our Nation's border with Mexico, environmental impacts to the Rio Grande River affect both countries.

Sources:
Department of Energy (U.S.) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/landscaping.html

EPA Greenlandscaping http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/

Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable.

National Service Research (NSR). 1998. Pesticide Usage and Impact Awareness Study: Executive Summary. City of Forth Worth Water Department. Fort Worth, TX. 44 pp.

Natural Resources Defense Council. 1999. Stormwater Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc, New York, NY.

Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). 1999. Profile of lawn care industry. http://www.plcaa.org.

United States Geological Survey (USGS). 1999. The Quality of Our Nation's Waters -- Nutrients and Pesticides. U.S. Geological Circular #1225. Web Site Address: water.usgs.gov.

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