Apr 3, 2019
The Town of Lincoln, MA, home to Henry Thoreau’s Walden Pond (along with Concord, MA) and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, is the latest to pass a regulation limiting the use of gas leaf blowers. As in many other communities, the growing use of gas-powered leaf blowers and other industrial equipment has brought with it, loud noise and toxic pollution.
This bucolic town, located only 20 miles from Boston, has long prided itself on its commitment to conservation and environmental values. The recent bylaw regulation is the latest development in a broader initiative by the Town to restore peace and quiet. Over the past several years, the town has:
- Educated residents and town officials on the adverse health and environmental impacts of gas-powered equipment
- Demonstrated advanced battery electric equipment
- Provided a list of local contractors willing to practice clean, quiet maintenance
- Amended the town contract to limit blower and mower use
- Worked with commercial properties to reduce use.
In addition, Lincoln’s Public Works Department and Conservation Commission have both taken steps to lead by example, purchasing zero-emissions, low noise equipment.
Henry Thoreau would be proud!
Photo caption (ConCom emission free…): Tim Beliveau and others from the Lincoln Conservation Department are getting around the woods using a fat-tired trail bike (above), which has a special pouch in back for their new battery-powered chainsaw. Source: Lincoln Squirrel
