NH woman facing fines for not cutting lawn
SOMERSWORTH, NH - A New Hampshire homeowner is battling city officials after getting a warning from the city demanding she cut her lawn or face fines.
Jacqui Pierce spends 10 to 14 hours a day at her dog training facility in Dover. Last Friday, she found the time to cut half of the lawn at her home in nearby Somersworth. In recent years, she began throwing wildflower seeds around her property. When she got to the other side of the lawn, she discovered patches of wildflowers along with honeybees. She decided to leave that area alone, instead of impacting the bees.
"The pollinators are dying off because everyone keeps using chemicals, and cutting their lawn to nothing," said Pierce. "I want it to be a feeding ground for them."
A week later, a city compliance officer came by. Pierce says she received a notice saying she had until September 8 to cut her lawn, or she would be fined. A city ordinance demands that all lawns be a maximum of eight inches.
In a bad month, city co-compliance officer Shane Conlan says he may write 50 warnings for lawn length issues. Pierce plans to comply with the rule in her own way by trimming the grass down with a pair of hedge clippers.
"I am planning on being a little snotty about it," laughs Pierce. "Seven inches? That's code compliance, right? I am going to buy some rulers and cut my grass to seven inches. I am going to leave it like that for the rest of the season, and let those flowers die off."
The city says they are not going after Pierce yet, and they hope to have a conversation with her. Pierce says she can apply to have her lawn to be considered a pollinator garden. It may help bypass some of the issues.