Maryland landscapers oppose fertilizer fee

Annapolis-The landscape industry was out in force at a hearing Feb. 19 to voice strong opposition to a bill that would impose a 10 percent tax on the total cost of fertilizer applications. “The added paperwork and expense that businessmen would have to go to is totally unreasonable,” declared Vanessa Finney of the Maryland Nursery and Landscape. “They would, for every single job they do, have to calculate the cost and itemize it individually on the bill.” Called the “fertilization application environmental impact fee,” the money would be collected for the state’s water pollution control fund, to be used for storm water management in developed areas of counties and municipalities. The penalty for failing to comply could be as much as $10,000 or five years in prison, or both. The bill, HB466, received its first reading on Jan. 30 and was aired last week by the environmental matters committee. If adopted by the legislature it would become law Oct. 1 of this year. The landscape association, along with Maryland Assn. of Green Industries and the Maryland Arborists Assn., pointed out that their intention is not to oppose putting money into funding an environmental cause, but they don’t want to be singled out for this purpose. In addition, Finney noted that the Maryland Agriculture Dept. has said it would have to hire three more full-time employees just to enforce the law and collect the fees. Mark Schlossberg, president of Pro-Lawn Plus Inc., told the local press, “For landscapers, this bill as written would require them to separate out their fertilizer (bed, tree, lawn) applications and charge the customers a 10 percent tax on that portion. Can you imagine the paperwork nightmare that would be?” He urged lawn applicator companies and landscape companies that offer turf and landscape fertilization services that haven’t already to contact the House Environmental Matters Committee to oppose House Bill 466 on the grounds that well-maintained turfgrass actually protects the Chesapeake Bay from harmful runoff, and that customers “won’t put up” with another tax.