Our View: Regulate Fertilizers And Pesticides In Harwich

It’s a cliche to say that on Cape Cod, water is our most important resource. Even so, it’s true; fouling of our coastal waters would ruin the economy, and of course, keeping drinking water safe and clean is of paramount importance here and everywhere for that matter.

Just as we supported Orleans’ successful town meeting vote to ask the state legislature to allow the town to regulate fertilizer use, so too do we support the same initiative in Harwich. A petition article seeking the endorsement of voters will go before the annual town meeting next Monday; added to it is a similar request to allow the town to regulate pesticides.

Town officials are split on supporting Patrick Otton’s petition. The select board opposed the measure 4-0, while the finance committee supported it by a vote of 4-3. The public likewise appears split, if a recent public forum is any indication on the position of the wider community.

Currently, use of fertilizers and pesticides is regulated by the state, and approval of the legislature is needed to matriculate that authority to the local level. Some argue that there’s no need for additional regulation, that fertilizers, especially, account for a small amount of the nutrient pollution in our coastal waterways. It is still a factor, however, and its reduction or elimination can only help improve water quality. Exemption could be allowed for professional applications, such as at golf courses, but frankly, we don’t see a need for any residential use of fertilizer or pesticide — other than mild organic products that are certified to cause no harm to the environment — given our fragile ecology. As suggested at a recent forum, a regional approach to this sort of measure makes sense, and we’d encourage the Cape Cod Commission, Barnstable Assembly of Delegates and county commissioners to pursue one. In the meantime, we support the petition article and, should it pass, urge the select board to follow through with special legislation.

We also support Otton’s petition article seeking voter sentiment on a town pool. As we’ve stated before, a regional approach — Chatham will be voting on a similar nonbinding measure at its May 13 town meeting — to a community pool makes sense and should be explored further. However, we don’t support Otton’s petition regarding protecting trees on properties under development. Its goal is laudable, but the measure is too vague and needs more work.