It might become a little easier to replace your lawn with artificial grass if a new bill in Sacramento becomes law. FM89’s Joe Moore reports.
Assemblymember Rudy Salas says he wants to take the model the state has used to subsidize solar power on homes across the state and apply it to another green project – removing lawns.
Salas introduced a bill Tuesday that would provide a tax credit to homeowners who remove their lawns and replace them either with drought-resistant landscaping or synthetic lawns.
Salas: “We know that California is in another drought year, and so what we’re looking for is solutions for how can we conserve more water, encourage people to do the right thing.”
Salas says the bill was inspired by two Hanford area teens who wrote to his office as part of a contest to get students involved in government.
Salas: “The students outreached to our office, I met with them, it sounded like something we could follow up with, and we did. We thought this would be a great proposal for the state of California, especially given the drought situation.”
It’s still unclear how the tax credits would be paid for, but Salas says cities in Nevada and Arizona have had success with similar programs.