Public and Private Policies Mary Bianchi Loren Oki

Your Local Community Local Regulations or Policies Land Use Food Safety Water Use

Are your edible gardens restricted by Covenants Codes and Restrictions (CCRs)? 1. Yes 2. No 3. I am not sure

Land Use Private policies/restrictions Home Owner Association Restrictive Covenants Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions (CCR) Fort Bend Texas – “no vegetable gardens shall be permitted except in fully screened areas in the backyard only so as not to be visible from the street or objectionable to an adjacent property” Maintenance and aesthetics are key! (?) AB 1061, Lieu 2009 This act provides that the architectural guidelines of a common interest development shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the use of low water-using plants as a group.

Land Use Public and private policies may differentiate based on edible versus ornamental landscapes e.g. Sacramento City ordinance required turf or low growing groundcover in front yards Section of Title 17 Sacramento City Code (April 3, 2007) “…the remaining unpaved portion of the setback areas shall be landscaped, irrigated, and maintained.” “The landscape may include grass, annuals, perennials, ground cover, shrubs, trees… “

Land Use Public policies or restrictions Focus on community gardens Edible landscape policies might relate to Setbacks Height of vegetation in front and back yards Maintenance Restrictions on restrictive covenants May require specific plant materials (trees) for new development

Food Safety Policy Donating produce (e.g., to food banks) Organization or Institution policy Check with target organization Clean containers, sound product with minimum 3-day shelf life (typical) Government policy May be local guidance Department of Environmental Health Non-food safety policy may apply to preventing spread of pests (e.g., Light Brown Apple Moth, Asian Citrus Psyllid) Donations may be restricted to county in which product was grown and may need to be defect free (caterpillar damage)

If I am not sure how a policy applies to edible landscapes or food harvested from these landscapes, I should: A. Eat the food B. Don’t eat the food C. Ask a UC Master Gardener D. Ask a UC CE Advisor E. Seek information from an appropriate agency

Water Use Policies related to water use may address: Budget Allocation and Pricing Water Capture and Conservation Rainwater collection systems Greywater systems Local jurisdictions must have landscape water conservation ordinance Must adopt: Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, OR Equally effective ordinance

MWELO Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) Requires a permit for new or rehabilitated landscapes larger than 5,000 sq.ft. for homeowner-installed projects 2,500 sq.ft. for developer-installed projects Permit requires calculating an estimation of annual landscape water use

“SLA” is short for (Choose BEST Answer) A. Special Libraries Association B. Symbionese Liberation Army C. Science Leadership Academy D. Special Landscape Area E. Singapore Land Authority

MWELO The estimated landscape water use must be less than or equal to 0.7 times ETo (reference ET). Areas of edible plants are classified as “Special Landscape Areas (SLAs)” SLAs are assigned an ETAF (ET Adjustment Factor) of 1.0

MWELO Local ordinances may differ considerably from MWELO MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (gallons/year) Water budgets may not exceed MAWA Budgets calculated using plant water use information in WUCOLS SLAs allowed 1.0 ETo

MWELO Budgets calculated using plant water use information in WUCOLS or other accepted reference Department of Water Resources website wateruseefficiency/docs/ wucols00.pdf Local ordinances may vary considerably

MWELO Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) Local Ordinances in place of MWELO

I can find more information about landscape water use policies from: 1. Department of Water Resources 2. My water provider 3. County CE office 4. California Center for Urban Horticulture 5. All of the above

Thank you! Any Questions? Mary Bianchi Loren Oki