History and Status of the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Program
During the early 1990’s, research by the National Estuary Program (NEP) showed that declines in water quality in Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay were caused by excess nitrogen, much of it coming from urban stormwater runoff. The Florida Yards Program for the Sarasota Bay area was created to target individual property owners and schools, and the Florida Neighborhoods Program in the Tampa Bay area directed education at neighborhood associations.
The programs merged in 1994 to create the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Program. The NEP teamed with UF/IFAS, which had created its own environmental landscaping program, to deliver the message of environmentally sustainable landscaping through the UF Cooperative Extension Service. FYN programming was organized around nine principles for environmentally sustainable landscaping in Florida.
Inter-agency cooperation has played a key role in the success of the program. Soon after FYN’s start, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) began funding the program through U.S. EPA Clean Water Act grants for reduction of nonpoint source pollution, with matching funds from UF/IFAS. With added support from the water management districts, especially the Southwest Florida Water Management District, plus many other agencies and local governments, FYN was expanded to a statewide level and is now active in 48 of Florida’s 67 counties.
Although initially directed towards homeowners, FYN is increasingly focusing on providing Florida-friendly landscaping information to builders and developers. Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Incorporating the principles of FYN from the planning stage of new development makes it easier for new home buyers to maintain their landscapes in an environmentally sustainable way. Services offered by FYN vary by county. Contact your county’s FYN program to find out what FYN can do for you.
