HB 2003: Community Gardening Made Possible

One of the better surprises of the session was the unexpected success of Senator Starr’s community gardening bill. This bill came to be introduced in a special way and is a testament to the value of sharing your thoughts and opinions with Senator Starr. At a local town hall meeting in March, a constituent of Senator Starr’s requested action by the legislature to encourage the growth of community gardening. An unprecedented growth in family vegetable gardens has occurred statewide due to the conditions of the economy, yet many who would like to start a garden don’t have the land to do so. Senator Starr stuck with this bill through many roadblocks in the committee process and successfully passed HB 2003 on June 12th.

More specifically, the bill gives landowners immunity from liability when they donate a private lot to be used as a community garden. HB 2003 effectively removes any hindrances on the part of the landowners and opens up access to more land that can be cultivated.