Natural-yard plan moving at a nice clip

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Subject:  Natural-yard plan moving at a nice clip
 Date:     Thu, 4 Apr 2002 13:05:42 -0500
From:      Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

cc:    Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov

Dear Mr. Helliker,  I thought you might like to read a Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time article entitled: Natural-yard plan moving at a nice clip.  By Aydrea Walden - Seattle Times staff reporter.

Four Shoreline neighborhoods are going au naturel in the yard.

As part of King County 's Natural Yard Care Neighborhood program, which started two years ago in Renton , about 60 families have changed habits in exchange for free training and tools - and safer yards.

They kicked off their commitments yesterday at a Shoreline home. Participants gave their chemicals to officials for safe disposal and got water timers, organic fertilizers, soaker hoses, insecticidal soap and mulching mowers.

Butch Dahl, who unloaded a wheelbarrow full of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides, had decided to switch because he has young grandchildren and wanted them to be safe outside.

Getting Started For more information, go to www.metrokc.gov/soils or call 206-296-4466. Instead of using chemicals, Dahl will pull weeds. He's started composting and will leave yard clippings on the ground.

Marti Davis has been practicing natural lawn care for about two years to keep nuthatches, woodpeckers, juncos and Cooper's hawks stopping by her home.

Even before the program expanded, Nancy Treder's neighborhood above the Thornton Creek watershed aggressively pursued environmentally conscious lawn maintenance, she said. Organizers hope other neighborhoods will follow suit but recognize that getting started can be expensive. So from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, they're offering products at reduced prices at Seattle Center's Fifth Avenue parking lot. People can save on everything from natural fertilizer to electric mulching mowers. Several businesses will offer discounts through this month.

JIMI LOTT / SEATTLE TIMES Shoreline residents Marti Davis, left, and Butch Dahl bring in pesticides for disposal, as part of an effort to use natural lawn care.

Aydrea Walden can be reached at 206-464-2342 or awalden@seattletimes.com.

Copyright © 2002 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134431017_cleanup04m.html 

Well Mr. Helliker, want to really reduce the use of your "registered" POISONS?

Respectfully,  Stephen L. Tvedten

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