Herbicide Spraying Starts For Hatboro Meadow Project

HATBORO, PA —Borough officials were notified by DCNR Monday afternoon that their contractor, Land Studies, will begin working on the initial phases of the Lawn to Meadow project at 130 Spring Ave. on Wednesday.

Beginning on Wednesday, 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.

This Lawn To Meadow Project has been in the making since 2023.

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 this partnership, 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 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.) It will be diluted to 2 percent to 5 percent before 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.

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. Residents should refrain from entering the area once spraying has begun, borough officials said.

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.

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