Herbicide Spraying For Hatboro Lawn-To-Meadow Project Delayed

HATBORO, PA —The controversial spraying of herbicides for the borough's Lawn-to-Meadow Project that was protested by residents didn't happen late last month as planned.

Now the borough is working to schedule a new date, officials said on Tuesday.

Borough officials said they were notified by DCNR in late August that their contractor, Land Studies, would start working on the initial phases of the project at 130 Spring Ave.

The initial first application was planned for Wednesday, Aug. 28 was canceled by the contractor.

The borough is working with DCNR on a new date which will be posted on the borough's website, Facebook page, and Savvy Citizen.

Representatives from Land Studies will begin the first application of herbicides within the attached map to prepare the area for the future seeding of the meadow.

The project has been in the making since 2023.

Borough officials have provided background on the project:

In 2023, the Borough of Hatboro partnered with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to begin lawn-to-meadow and lawn-to-forestry projects in multiple areas of the Borough.

Before the partnership, the Borough Council carefully reviewed each possible project and discussed qualifying areas during public meetings and through a virtual public workshop held on Facebook.

Through this program, DCNR converts presently maintained lawns to actively managed upland forests or perennial native meadows which helps to provide clean water and wildlife habitats as well as increases biodiversity in the affected areas.

The first area selected for meadow conversion by DCNR is the grassy area of Spring Avenue at the Pennypack Property (also known as the 7 buildable lots).

Following the conversion from lawn to managed meadow, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is partnering with Land Studies, Inc. to apply an herbicide to the affected area.

The herbicide will eliminate the existing grass in the area in order to prepare the land for the planting of the managed meadow. The herbicide to be used in this area is known as Aqua Neat which uses the primary active ingredient of Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, in the form of its isopropylamine salt.

The herbicide is very low in toxicity and is an aquatic-rated herbicide and has been tested for safety on organisms including fish, macroinvertebrates, birds, honeybees, etc.) This herbicide will be diluted to 2 percent to 5 percent prior to spraying in the area and will be sprayed by a fully licensed PA Pesticide (Herbicide) Applicator.

The Borough of Hatboro and DCNR referenced the PA Hypersensitivity Registry, and no residents listed on the registry reside within 500 feet of this site; however, out of an abundance of caution, the Borough of Hatboro is notifying all residents of the spraying via Facebook, website and Savvy Citizen as well as hand-delivering notices to residents in the immediate area.

Following the application of Aqua Neat, the sprayed area will not be accessible by the public for a minimum of four hours.

The timeframe is the agricultural worker standard for the herbicide. Following spraying, residents will notice blue dye on the affected area which helps Land Studies identify which areas were sprayed.

The dye in the grass will fade after a few days. Borough officials ask residents refrain from entering the area once spraying has begun.

Herbicide Fact Sheet On File

A copy of the fact sheet for Aqua Neat is available for reference at Borough Hall.

Land Studies and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have assured the Borough of Hatboro that their licensed professionals will be extremely conscious of the area including neighboring properties, weather, and drift to prevent damage to any area outside of the treatment area, borough officials said.

Residents who have any questions or concerns are encouraged to call Borough Hall at 215-443-9100.