“Even while Washington is in desperate financial condition,” Senske wrote, “your legislature is spending time to control your life even more and cost you money while ignoring scientific facts.”

Sound familiar? No, it’s not one of our resident climate skeptics but from Chris Senske, the President of Spokane’s Senske Lawn and Tree Crare company, in a letter to his customers warning of Senate Bill 6289 and its companion House Bill 2744, an act to protect water quality by reducing phosphorus from lawn fertilizers.

The fact is, this is very important legislation for our region.

Spokane Riverkeeper Rick Eichstaedt, a supporter of the legislation, weighed in at the Center For Justice: “What’s funny is that this bill is actually very reasonable because its purpose is to prevent the application of excess phosphorous that runs off into streams and rivers. Maybe we’re asking too much for the lawn service folks to understand just how damaging and expensive excess phosphorous is to our waterways. But they should know better than to gas up peoples’ fears that their lawns are somehow going to be destroyed because of these bills. That’s ridiculous.” Please read “Lawn Services In A Lather.”

Eichstaedt and the Washington Lake Protection Association prepared a fact sheet downloadable in PDF HERE. Eichstaedt said a 28 percent decrease in the phosphorous contact of storm water in Michigan was found after a similar proposal to our Washington legislation passed.

So this definitely requires a call to action. Go HERE to find your elected officials and email them with your support and copy/email our two local sponsors Senator Chris Marr and Representative Timm Ormsby.

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