Weed and Property Maintenance Ordinances

A guide for local government leaders, homeowners' associations, and others who want to promote the expansion of wildlife-friendly habitats in their communities. It provides case studies of cities that revised their property maintenance ordinances to incentivize homeowners and other landowners to transform their land into wildlife habitats. This guide also provides model ordinances and policies. Lead author: Samantha R. Miller.

An ordinance of the city of Salisbury to amend chapter 8.08 Brush, Weeds, and Obnoxious Growth to include the definition and requirements of meadow cultivation and to allow for the cultivation of meadows in the city of Salisbury, Maryland.

Example of a Pennsylvania municipal nuisance ordinance that makes some accommodation for creating meadow in a yard (rather than the typical ordinance that simply outlaws lawn alternatives). Its 50' setback from street and 25' setback from structures, however, can make its utility quite limited for smaller lots. (See section 188-2. Vegetation subsection 1-a for exceptions for meadows and naturalized areas.)

Ferguson's ordinance allows for managed natural landscape areas on properties if they are registered with the township, receive approval from the Township Arborist of a maintenance plan for the area, and meet other conditions including the destruction of noxious weeds. The ordinance as posted had been updated through December 2021.

Example of a Pennsylvania municipal ordinance that makes some accommodation for creating meadow in a yard (rather than the typical weed ordinance that simply outlaws lawn alternatives). See paragraph 167.2: Definitions and word usage for description of meadow, and exceptions contained in paragraph 167.4: Removal and/or cutting required.

The model landscaping regulations provided by the model, if adopted by municipalities, can help conserve and restore healthy soils, reduce the use of irrigation for landscapes, improve the quality of surface waters, reduce energy consumption, provide wildlife habitat, and protect and restore native plant communities. They can also assist in cleaning up impaired waters in both MS4 and non-MS4 municipalities.