The Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee and the Falmouth Board of Selectmen hired Delahaye Media Link of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to carry out the second wave of budgeted research to gauge citizens’ awareness of nitrogen pollution in Falmouth’s bays and ponds and to measure the impact of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign on lawn care attitudes and practices. 

The survey, which was sent to 6,809 homeowners in the Bournes, Green and Great Ponds’ watersheds, found 82% of respondents believe that they can help reduce nitrogen pollution by adopting Falmouth Friendly Lawn care practices.

 “The results are overwhelmingly positive,” says Jack Barnes, Chairman of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee. “Homeowners are even more aware of the problem of nitrogen pollution, and many report they have modified their actions in order to adopt Falmouth Friendly Lawn care practices.”

 More than three-quarters of Falmouth residents surveyed (79%) agreed that nitrogen pollution in our bays and ponds is a serious issue facing the Town of Falmouth and could have an adverse effect on property taxes and property values in the near future.  This is an increase of 14 percentage points compared to the 65% level of agreement with the same statement in the initial survey last March.

The follow-up survey also asked about the effectiveness of the educational materials made available this past spring, summer and fall.  A majority of respondents (64 %) believed that brochures, postcards and other mailings were effective in providing helpful information on growing a Falmouth Friendly Lawn.   Nearly as many, 61%, found newspaper articles effective in providing helpful information.

In addition to the type of closed-ended questions contained in the initial survey, the follow-up survey asked respondents to write in their personal reaction to the Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign and to suggest ways to make it better.  Nearly half of all respondents took the time to pen their reactions and suggestions, most of them very positive in tone, and the committee is evaluating those ideas as plans are being developed for next year

The initial survey was conducted last spring prior to the start of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign and responses to the follow-up survey were received in October.

A total of 1185 questionnaires were collected and included in the first wave of research, representing an extraordinary response rate of 17.4%. The second wave yielded 894 questionnaires, representing a response rate of a still-high 13%. Of these respondents, 70% indicated they are year-round residents.