Opinion: The Time for ‘Yard Reform’ is Now

In a piece in Next City, Amy McEuen calls for “yard reform,” writing that it’s time to rethink the American lawn. “To slow the pace of extinctions and pull carbon from the sky, we need laws that incentivize replacement of grass with native plantings.”

While some people may find it “impossible to unimagine” the grass lawn, more people are recognizing the value of native plants and replacing their lawns with local flora, reducing the use of water and harmful fertilizers and pesticides. But some cities and private homeowners associations actively oppose such changes, even issuing citations to homeowners who replace their lawns.

On the other side, “Some states strongly incentivize lawn removal. Nevada’s “cash for grass” rebate program pays $3 per square foot of turf grass that is removed and replaced with desert plants.” Nevada also banned ornamental grass, while Minnesota reimburses homeowners who convert lawns to pollinator gardens. McEuen recommends the creation of a model environmental municipal code similar to the Model Penal Code, which “would send local and state lawmakers the message that they need to make replacing our lawns not just acceptable but advisable.”