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State Bills 2080 & 494, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, and You!

CLICK HERE FOR FAQs ABOUT SB 494 and SB 2080!

SB 2080:

  • Deletes references to “xeriscape”
  • Requires water management districts to provide model Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ordinances to local governments
  • Requires each district to use materials developed by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), University of Florida/Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and the Center for Landscape Conservation & Ecology/ Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program (FFL)
  • Requires the districts to coordinate with FDEP & UF/IFAS if revisions to the educational materials are needed
  • Says that a deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land
  • Says that a local government ordinance may not prohibit any property owner from implementing FFL on his or her land
  • Says that local governments must use the standards and guidelines when developing landscape irrigation and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ordinances.

Please see the link for SB2080 for further info.

SB 494:

  • Requires that all commercial fertilizer applicators have an Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) license by January 1, 2014
  • Says that passing the GI-BMP training, or an approved equivalent, is mandatory to obtain that license
  • Says that  FDEP, in cooperation with UF/IFAS, shall provide training and testing programs in urban landscape management practices and may issue certificates demonstrating satisfactory completion of the training
  • Says that after receiving a certificate of completion, a person may apply to FDACS to receive a limited certification for urban landscape commercial fertilizer application under S 482.1562
  • Says that a person possessing such a certification is not subject to additional local testing
  • Mandates that beginning January 2014, any person applying fertilizer to an urban landscape must be certified under S 482.1562, Florida Statues; says that a limited certification expires 4 years after the date of issuance
  • Says that before applying for recertification, the applicant must complete 4 classroom hours of acceptable continuing education, of which at least 2 hours of fertilizer best management practices.

Please see the link for SB494 for further info.

So what is Florida-Friendly Landscaping, and why should you care?

Aesthetics

Aesthetics are a key component of Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Each Florida-Friendly Landscape can be beautiful and as distinctive as its owner’s taste. Florida-Friendly Landscapes may be designed in a wide variety of styles and types, using both native and adapted non-native species of plants. A well-maintained Florida-Friendly Landscape enhances neighborhood beauty and increases property value.

Water Quality

Applying Florida-Friendly Landscaping ™ principles helps protect Florida’s surface and ground waters. Using UF/IFAS-recommended application rates and timings of pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation can help prevent nonpoint source pollution (water pollution that is associated with everyday human activities and driven by rainfall, runoff, and leaching) from urban landscapes. When combined with low-impact design principles—such as rain barrels, cisterns, swales and berms, and pervious pavements—these correct cultural practices can reduce the flow of stormwater, which can carry trash, pet wastes, plant clippings, and loose soil into storm drains and water bodies.

Water Conservation

With Florida in a multi-year drought, it’s critical that everyone does his or her part to conserve water resources. Florida-Friendly Landscapes are great water- and money-savers. By choosing plants appropriate for the site and maintaining them with correct cultural practices (irrigation, fertilization, mowing, and pruning), one can significantly reduce not only the amount of water a landscape needs to thrive, but also the chance of plant diseases and pests associated with overwatering. Other Florida-Friendly Landscaping ™ techniques will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation or runoff. Mulching a garden bed help keeps the soil moist for longer. Using pervious pavements like crushed shell or gravel allows rainwater to soak into the ground rather than running into storm drains.

Plant Selection

A Florida-Friendly Landscape’s beauty and functionality depend on a mix of trees, plants, and turfgrass chosen for their specific location (FFL Principle #1: “Right Plant, Right Place”) and maintained according to UF/IFAS recommendations. Florida-Friendly Landscaping ™ principles encourage the use of both native and adapted non-native species of plants. Invasive exotics should be removed where possible and never planted. For more information on Florida-Friendly Landscaping and the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program, visit the University of Florida IFAS Extension web site, http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu. A searchable Florida-friendly plant database can be found at http://FloridaYards.org.

 

CLICK HERE for another article that explains SB2080 and Florida-Friendly Landscaping.