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Farmington committee seeks native‑plant and invasive‑species steps; considers ordinance tweaks
Summary
The Green Efforts Committee proposed combining invasive species, habitat loss and pesticide concerns under a single 'habitat' goal, discussed education and volunteer programs, and asked staff to explore modest zoning and property‑maintenance ordinance changes to favor native species.
The Town of Farmington Green Efforts Committee discussed a combined habitat goal to address invasive species, biodiversity loss and pesticide use and explored both education and small ordinance changes as tools.
Members recommended focusing initial efforts on homeowner education—what individuals can do in their yards—and on partner programs such as pollinator‑pathway designations, master gardener workshops and high‑school volunteer projects. "Starting at education for people understanding the importance of, knowing what invasives are in their yard," the Chair said, framing education as the first step.
Staff reviewed two regulatory pathways: the landscaping/land‑use section of the zoning regulations (which requires landscaping buffers and planting counts for commercial developments) and the town’s property‑maintenance ordinance (which currently limits unmaintained vegetation to one foot unless planted for ornamental purposes). Staff suggested modest text revisions—such as requiring a percentage of native plantings in landscape plans or exempting defined native plantings from enforcement—to encourage native species without broad or abrupt changes to property owners' obligations.
Committee members proposed a spring public workshop on native plants and a September walk to highlight native species on town trails. They also discussed recruiting master gardeners and learning from neighboring towns that run high‑school internships to remove invasives.
Next steps: staff will research ordinance language used by peer towns, volunteers will contact extension and master‑gardener resources, and the committee will plan a spring outreach event focused on native plants and invasive‑species management.
