Regarding the letter to the editor from Mr. James Forrester concerning the Naples’ new certification program for lawn- and landscape-maintenance professionals, I need to clarify a few confusing points.
First, the state of Florida does not require a landscape-maintenance license. The state requires a license for the application of pesticides and does not permit local governments to exercise that licensing power.
We are not regulating pesticide application, although hopefully we will be able to do so in the future. Our new program is aimed at fertilizer application, water use and the harm to the environment that can occur with their improper usage.
Second, we are working with the state regarding the educational requirement for the application, and the state has already expressed an interest in funding our efforts. In addition, we have been contacted by a private company also interested in helping fund the educational aspect of our program.
Third, decreasing fertilizer use and overwatering are just pieces of a bigger puzzle we have to resolve as we move to restore Naples Bay. We are constantly looking for more ways to clean the bay while continuing to consider the tremendous costs involved in such an effort. There is no easy fix to this problem, but we will strive to keep this as a No. 1 priority, and won’t quit until we have achieved our goal.
Bill Barnett/Mayor, Naples
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