Decision to use fake grass starts local turf war

ROCKVILLE, Md. - A move to install artificial turf fields at area schools has a home-grown industry green -- with envy.

Doug Lechliter, of the Maryland Turf Association, recently went before the Montgomery County Board of Education to make a pitch for sticking with natural turf fields at local high schools.

"We're the original going green," he says.

Lechliter, who owns Laytonsville Landscaping, is unhappy with the decision at three high schools to go with artificial turf.

"We've been completely cut out of the schools. It's very frustrating"

He says it raises some environmental concerns.

"When you take out a natural turf field and put in an artificial turf field, you've created another parking lot."

Lechliter says that leads to water runoff, and can affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

"The second thing is these things make tremendous heat islands. It is well documented that the playing fields will be 20 degrees higher than the parking lot."

Three Montgomery County high schools: Richard Montgomery, Walter Johnson and Blair, either have or are planning to install artificial turf fields. School officials have said the artificial fields may have a higher initial cost but are less expensive to maintain in the long run. They also say the artificial fields will allow for more playing time for more teams, solving issues related to accessibility.

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