SALISBURY – The City of Salisbury is proud to announce the passing of legislation allowing for Pocket Pollinator Meadows in yards within city limits. Monday night City Council voted to pass the ordinance, officially amending City property maintenance code to allow for well-maintained Pocket Pollinator Meadows.
Meadows are a planned, intentional, and maintained planting of native grasses and wildflowers that are commonly found in meadow and prairie plant communities. They are small, native plantings offering the same ecological benefits of wild meadows but on a more manageable scale. They represent a valuable habitat by providing pollen, nectar, seed resources, nesting sites, and a protected environment for the City’s native bee and butterfly species.
“We have been eager to make this program available to the public, allowing residents to use their own property to support local pollinator populations. The success of this program depends on our community’s willingness to make choices that positively affect our environment, and I am confident that the Pocket Meadows program gives residents the opportunity to rise to the challenge of making sustainability a priority,” shared Mayor Jake Day. “Thank you to Green SBY and our Housing and Community Development Department for working to make this program available,” he added.
Residents who choose to participate in Salisbury’s Meadow Program will need to first register for the program on the City’s website and abide by a few rules in order to be exempt from property code violations such as:
- The meadow must be managed in a manner that it does not become stagnant or weed infested
- Meadows should be managed in a manner that does not allow for noxious weed growth
- Meadows should include, at minimum, a majority of plants native to Maryland
It is also required that property owners maintain a height of no more than 8 inches in the Pocket Meadow area and the meadow should be no less than 10 feet away from the front property line.
“The Housing and Community Development Department is pleased to have worked with Green SBY to make this program available to our community, as well as easy to access. We are also working to ensure that the Pocket Meadows follow the newly approved City ordinance guiding where they can be planted and how to maintain them,” shared Ron Strickler, Director of Salisbury HCDD.
As a Bee City USA Community, Salisbury is committed to expanding pollinator habitat throughout the City. There are many pollinator gardens across Salisbury, including the Zoo’s pollinator gardens, the pollinator garden at Poplar Hill Mansion, the Downtown Edible Garden, and the bio retention areas that line Main Street.
“We have seen a decline in pollinators in recent decades, and habitat loss has been a significant factor in that decline. The new pollinator meadow legislation will allow residents to use their yards to create well-maintained pollinator habitat, which will lead to a more biodiverse, environmentally-friendly community,” shared Alyssa Hastings, City of Salisbury Sustainability Specialist. “We are excited to not only make this program available, but to make sustainability more accessible for all Salisbury residents.”
To learn more about the Pocket Pollinator Meadows program, or to register your pocket meadow, visit www.salisbury.md/meadows
