Ft. Meyers, Fla.-Residential fertilizer restrictions adopted for a six-county area by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council aren’t a done deal yet, according to the Florida Fertilizer and Agribusiness Association. “The planning council has adopted a resolution which has been presented to the six counties,” declared FFAA President Mary Hartney. “But each county needs to adopt an ordinance for the fertilizer restrictions and provisions to take effect. The potential exists for each county to deviate from this model language-which I’ve heard argued is necessary as each has its own specific issues. This is the reason why FFAA supported an amendment in the State Legislature which called for fertilizer regulation to be done at the state level. In other words, a law preempting counties and cities (from adopting their own regulations).” Officials with the council, which represents an area surrounding metropolitan Ft. Myers, agree that it’s up to the local entities to adopt their own version of the fertilizer restrictions adopted in the interest of preventing nutrient runoff. The resolution calls for cutbacks in the amounts, rates, and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus applications; use of slow release formulations; certification of professional applicators; a major education program on fertilizer use; and protective setbacks from waterways of up to 25 feet.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain