By Daily Press staff
Local property owners are seeing green not only in their lawns but through cash given to them from City Hall.
This week Santa Monica’s Environmental Programs Division awarded nine grants totaling approximately $80,000 to property owners for sustainable landscape projects. Grants will help cover costs to design and/or install water-conserving plants, water-efficient irrigation systems, permeable paving and rain water catchment systems. The landscape grant program is one of 15 programs the city offers to save water and reduce ocean pollution. One of the goals of the program is to begin converting portions of the landscaped area in the city to be more climate-compatible and help reduce citywide water use 20 percent by 2010.
“We are very excited to announce the grant recipients for 2004,” said Neal Shapiro, the city’s water resources coordinator. “We are confident that individuals will see the benefits of sustainable landscaping practices right away.”
Many homes in Santa Monica use more than 200 gallons of water each day to irrigate landscape, with much of it running off into streets, alleys and sidewalks, officials said. Research shows that converting turf and other water-thirsty plants, and traditional, high-volume sprinkler irrigation systems to California-friendly plants and water-efficient irrigation systems can save up to 80 percent of water and 60 percent of maintenance costs. Water-efficient gardens produce less yard waste, reduce the need for harmful chemicals and polluting maintenance equipment, and provide habitat for beneficial birds and insects, officials said.
The competitive landscape grants awarded provide partial funding, or new or remodeled innovative garden designs that include one or more of the following: California native plants, water-efficient plants, water-efficient irrigation systems, storm-water management systems, graywater systems, and/or other innovative water-saving features. Applications for the next round of grants are due March 31, 2005. Visit www.smepd.org or call (310) 458-8405 for more details.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 7, 2005. Read the original PDF.