Editor:
Re: “SCRD eyes Stage 2 lawn watering ban,” Jan. 29.
As some of the “vegetable garden people” that Gary Nohr refers to, we take issue with his diminutive tone towards food production. We are eating the veggies we grow in our backyard, thanks to the water we collect and use. Are people eating the grass from their lawns? How can we even consider putting ornamental grass production above food when discussing water allocations in a drought? Public consultation is important, but so is taking leadership around water conservation issues. We already know food production is more important than ornamental grass.
Last year, the SCRD moved to Stage 4 water restrictions because of poor water management earlier in the season. We almost ran out of water as a result. If everyone in the community begins conserving water earlier, and prioritizing food production above lawns, our late summer water levels may not get so dangerously low. Grass is resilient. If not watered, it goes dormant, but it doesn’t die. And we know, in our temperate rainforest, it will rain again, so the lawn will rise again. Veggies don’t grow this way. And let’s face it; we do need vegetables more than grass.
Also, there’s a heap of evidence that shows growing your own food is good for your physical and mental health, provides fresh food at a reasonable cost, and has a positive environmental impact.
We would actually support a total ban on lawn watering at Stage 1 water restrictions. Let’s not waste time discussing the merits of watering grass; if we take leadership earlier in the season, we may avoid the 2015 emergency water situation our community found itself in.
Amanda Walker, Denise Woodley, Sam Talbot, Josha MacNab, Roberts Creek
