From the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia website.

Two more developments in what is rapidly becoming a nationwide movement to ban the dirtiest form of machinery still in legal use.

First, from the Island Packet in South Carolina, a story by Sam Ogozalek on local efforts. It begins:

The critics of noisy leaf blowers on Hilton Head Island have scored a victory in their long-running campaign to eliminate — or at least mitigate — the loudest of the gas-powered equipment in Sea Pines. The board of directors for Sea Pines’ Community Services Associates voted last month to approve a new policy that will prohibit landscaping companies from using commercial grade leaf blower equipment that operates above a sound level of 75 dBA (A-weighted decibels) while in the gated community.

Read more here .

Then, from the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, a story with the headline, “Good News About Banning Gas Powered Leafblowers.” Among the updates it provides:

On November 9, 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in county operations…. The Board of Supervisors approved it on a 9-1 vote. It directs county staff to develop a plan for ending gas-powered leaf blower purchases and calls for contractors working for the county to begin transitioning away from this type of equipment….
You can view the proceeding here, selecting the video for November 9 and the “video with linked agenda” option. Once the agenda pops up, select the board matters introduced by Supervisor Walkinshaw. If you are in Fairfax County, and the Supervisor for your district supported the measure, please send a brief note of thanks.
The five members of the Arlington County Board voted unanimously on November 16 to phase out county-owned gas-powered landscaping equipment by 2025. You can view the proceeding here. Scroll over to 8:48 p.m. when the discussion on the measure begins. The County also voted to allocate $124,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to begin that process. You can send a note of thanks to board members at Countyboard@arlingtonva.us.

Congratulations to all involved.