FORT MYERS, Fla. - TelAve -- Lee County's fertilizer education and outreach program, Fertilize Smart, has been awarded a 2026 Stormwater Excellence Award by the Florida Stormwater Association (FSA).

Recognized in the Public Education Effort category, the fertilizer education and outreach program represents a decades-long commitment to educate Lee County residents and visitors about the county's ordinance and the impact that fertilizer can have on clean water and waterway preservation.

Each year, the Excellence Awards are given to local government and academic FSA member organizations that have demonstrated a high level of distinction in stormwater programs, projects and public education efforts. The objective of the Fertilize Smart public education campaign is to engage and educate the community about proper fertilizer use, irrigation practices, proper disposal of pet waste, Florida-friendly landscape practices and other factors that affect water quality.

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The goal is to prompt personal behavior change: The desired outcomes include:

• Reduce nonpoint stormwater pollution sources
• Decrease impacts on local waterways
• Improve water quality in surface waters

As part of this effort, in 2024 Lee County introduced "Lee the Gnome" as a campaign mascot and marketing strategy element to capture the public's attention and reinforce the campaign's educational messages. Then in 2025, Lee County brought the mascot to life. Lee can be seen at community events around the county, helping to spread the word about the Fertilize Smart initiative.

"Pre-and-post education campaign surveys show an increase in respondents' awareness," said Lisa Kreiger, an operations manager in the Lee County Department of Natural Resources. "This campaign has been a massive success for Lee County Natural Resources but most importantly, Fertilize Smart is having a positive impact on public behavior as more people rally to protect our waterways."

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FSA Stormwater Excellence Award winners were honored June 18 at the FSA annual conference, Rising to the Challenge: Navigating Stormwater Change Together, at the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor.

Lee County's fertilizer restriction is in effect June 1 through Sept. 30, requiring residents to stop the use of fertilizers to protect Lee County's waterways during rainy summer months. To learn more about Lee County's Fertilize Smart initiative, visit FertilizeSmart.com.

To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters and follow on social media: www.leegov.com/socialmedia.