As the Vineyard approaches its annual town meeting season, a highly-debated bylaw aimed at curbing the noise of leaf blowers is on nearly every town’s warrant.

The Vineyard Conservation Society has worked with every town to draft bylaws regulating the time of day leaf blowers are permitted and phasing out gas-powered blowers, which the organization said inhibits quality of life with their loud noise and harmful emissions.

The proposed bylaws call for exclusive use of electric leaf blowers or rakes by the spring of 2028, following in the footsteps of several municipalities that have already made the switch. Nantucket voted to ban commercial gas-powered leaf blowers with no grace period after a citizen’s petition in 2020, and the state of California banned gas blowers entirely starting in July 2024. 

But many of the Island landscapers who use leaf blowers each day said the towns’ proposed bylaws could put a financial burden on their companies because electric blowers cost exponentially more and often don’t hold a charge long enough.

So far five towns have put articles on their annual town meeting warrants. — Ray Ewing

Zada Clarke, the director of advocacy at the Vineyard Conservation Society, said the bylaws are intended to mitigate noise.

“Constant noise raises cortisol levels, it increases irritation [and] can lead to long-term hearing issues,” Ms. Clarke said. “The particles that are blown into the air can stay there for hours, so you don’t really know, maybe you’re breathing in pathogens, fecal matter, etc.”

Gas-powered leaf blowers generate noise levels over 100 decibels at the ear of the operator and 65-80 decibels at 50 feet away, the society reported. Gas leaf-blowers can release emissions such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide which Ms. Clarke said contributes to climate change.

Five of the Island towns have bylaws on their annual town meeting warrants. Ms. Clarke said the conservation society also presented the proposed bylaw to Aquinnah, but it’s unclear whether the town will move forward.

The issue was first raised last year, when a citizen’s petition made by Sara Piazza went to Edgartown’s annual town meeting. She proposed an immediate ban of gas-powered leaf blowers but residents turned it down in a narrow 94-89 vote.

Ms. Clarke said the conservation society and Edgartown’s climate and energy committees began meeting in the fall to draft the new proposed bylaws, which vary slightly from town to town.

The proposed bylaws place annual restrictions on both gas and electric blowers starting in the fall and allowing their use from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The bylaws in Tisbury, West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Chilmark would also restrict leaf blowers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Tisbury and Oak Bluffs propose banning gas-powered blowers starting March 15, 2028. Chilmark lists May 31, 2028 and West Tisbury proposes June 1, 2028.

Leaf blowers are defined as any device that uses air to move leaves, grass and other debris. Property owners would be limited to using no more than two leaf blowers simultaneously.

If passed, the bylaws would restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to the fall and spring seasons. After a three-year phase-out, gas powered leaf blowers would be banned entirely starting in the spring of 2028.

Jennifer Blum, a member of Edgartown’s climate committee who helped draft the bylaw, said the group consulted with landscapers before drafting it. She said the 2028 deadline would give landscapers enough time to purchase a new fleet of electric equipment. 

“We definitely understand that [landscapers] have concerns about making the transition to electric,” Ms. Blum said. “Some of them have started, and some are looking into what the different electric options are.”

All the bylaws forbid the commercial use of leaf blowers on Sundays, and Edgartown extends the restriction to homeowners.

Only a written warning is proposed on the first offense in Chilmark, Tisbury and Oak Bluffs. 

Edgartown would charge $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for third offense. West Tisbury would charge $150 for the first offense and $250 for the second offense.

Allison Burger, a member of the Chilmark conservation commission, helped draft the article in her town. 

“I like to walk at Fulling Mill Brook [and] it’s amazing how many leaf blowers you can hear,” she said.

The Tisbury select board discussed amending the bylaw before the annual town meeting. On Tuesday, select board member Roy Cutrer suggested removing limitations for electric leaf blowers and dropping the section banning all leaf blower operation on Sundays and federal holidays.

“We’re talking about people who own their homes or rent their homes and have their own rights,” Mr. Cutrer said. “Are you going to tell them what they can do on a Sunday? I can go out and I can mow my lawn at 7 o’clock in the morning, but I can’t blow a little grass on it. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Ms. Blum said the group is also planning on proposing an amendment to the Edgartown bylaw to change the dates gas-powered leaf blowers are permitted in the fall from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15 to Oct. 15 through Jan. 15 after hearing feedback from landscapers.

A citizen’s petition calling for the ban of commercial gas powered leaf blowers starting as early as July 1 is also on the Edgartown warrant. It was submitted by Jim Joyce, a real estate broker who lives full-time in Edgartown.

“I think that the [VCS] article takes too long to implement,” Mr. Joyce said. 

Enforcement of the bylaws would be left to police departments, which raised a concern for Oak Bluffs police Chief Jonathan Searle. He said he plans on speaking against the town’s proposed bylaw at the annual town meeting.

“A homeowner that wants to use a leaf blower is now being turned into a criminal?” Chief Searle said. “Meanwhile . . . his carbon footprint is minuscule compared to the jets flying over his head.”

Chief Searle said enforcing the leaf blower bylaw goes beyond the role of police. He added that his department is too understaffed to be able to enforce the bylaw. 

Libby Gibson, the town manager for Nantucket, said since her island banned commercial gas-powered leaf blowers over four years ago, enforcement hasn’t been easy.

“If there’s a commercial landscaper using a gas-powered leaf blower outside your house, and you call the police, probably by the time they get there, [the landscapers] are going to be gone,” Ms. Gibson said.

Since Jan. 1, 2024, Ms. Gibson said the Nantucket police department received nine complaints about gas-powered leaf blowers. She added that Nantucket doesn’t have the resources to conduct inspections to see if commercial landscapers got rid of their gas-powered leaf blowers.

Many Vineyard landscapers have already started using electric leaf blowers, to mixed results.

Michael Donaroma, the owner of Donaroma’s Nursery Landscaping and Floral Design, said his company uses a multitude of battery operated tools such as lawn mowers and hedge trimmers, in addition to electric handheld and backpack leaf blowers. 

“If the town goes ahead with [the bylaw], we’re certainly anxious to comply,” said Mr. Donaroma, who is also an Edgartown select board member.

Chris Miller, the CEO and founder of the Millers Professionals Co., said his company is in the middle of transitioning to battery operated blowers. He spent about $1,600 on each blower, not including the cost of the battery and charging equipment. 

Mr. Miller, who has between 50 and 60 landscapers working in multiple towns during the summer, said he is fine with regulating leaf blowers.

“I understand what people are saying about the noise,” Mr. Miller said. “I’m willing to work around it and do what’s necessary to accommodate the needs of everybody.”

Nikola Vasilic, the owner of Estate Care, said he supports the shift to electric but thinks it should happen at a slower pace and with more support for landscapers. He already has four electric leaf blowers which he said are significantly less powerful than those powered by gas and the charge only lasts 30 minutes to two hours.

“We will switch to electric whenever we can,” Mr. Vasilic said. “They are quieter . . . . But most of the time [when] you’re doing your cleanups, there’s too many leaves to push, and sometimes it’s just not possible.”

Ryan White, owner of The Avant Gardener, said he switched over to electric leaf blowers in 2020 for summer work only. Some of his clients requested the quieter machines. While Mr. White agrees with the benefit of electric equipment and applauds the Vineyard Conservation Society for pursuing this regulation, he said he feels the proposed bylaws require more review. 

“I love the direction we’re going with this, but we need to be more thoughtful and pragmatic [with] the rollout, the timelines, the restriction level and how it benefits and implicates both the homeowner and the service provider,” Mr. White said.

He explained that the cost of electric is exponentially higher than gas leaf blowers. Certain electric models can cost up to $2,000, including the battery and charger needed for operation. The most expensive models of gas leaf blowers cost around $650, excluding the gas tanks an operator would need. 

Mr. White said the spring 2028 deadline could place a financial burden on landscapers. 

“I have a really great group of clients that are supportive of the extra cost to have us use electric equipment that’s maybe not as efficient, but they get the quiet they want,” Mr. White said. “Not all landscapers are that fortunate.”

He added that most workers are paid an hourly rate. Restricting the time of day in which leaf blowers can be used could lower their income.

“The business owners and the workers need to make a living and it’s so hard to make a living out here nowadays,” Mr. White said. “These restrictions might make it even harder.”

Louisa Hufstader contributed to this article.