Maryland Wants to Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers – Here's What You Need to Know

 

Maryland’s Proposed Leaf Blower Ban Hurts Businesses, Homeowners & Farmers

Maryland legislators are pushing HB0701 – The Clean Air Quiet Communities Act, which aims to ban the sale and use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the state. While environmental concerns are important, this bill will have devastating consequences for small businesses, homeowners, landscapers, farmers, and outdoor power equipment dealerships like ours.

We need your help to spread the word and take action before it’s too late!

Why This Ban is a Bad Idea

🔴 It Will Hurt Small & Minority-Owned Businesses

  • Many landscaping companies and small businesses cannot afford the high cost of transitioning to battery-powered blowers.

  • Electric blowers cost 4-5 times more than gas-powered models and require costly backup batteries to run for a full workday.

  • Minority-owned businesses, many of which operate on tight budgets, will struggle to compete and may be forced to close.

🔴 It Will Put Maryland Dealerships at a Competitive Disadvantage

  • If this ban passes, Marylanders will go to Virginia and Pennsylvania to buy their equipment and continue using gas-powered blowers.

  • This means local outdoor power equipment dealers will lose business, hurting our local economy.

  • Sales tax revenue will go to other states, rather than benefiting Maryland.

🔴 It Will Increase Costs for Maryland Homeowners & Businesses

  • Landscapers will have to raise their prices due to the higher cost of battery-powered blowers.

  • Maryland’s most vulnerable residents—the elderly and disabled on fixed incomes—will suffer the most. Many rely on affordable lawn care services to maintain their properties.

  • Increased landscaping costs could lead to neglected properties, decreased home values, and struggling local businesses.

🔴 It’s an Unfair Double Standard

  • The ban exempts certain government agencies, allowing them to continue using gas-powered leaf blowers.

  • If the government acknowledges that gas-powered blowers are necessary, why aren’t Maryland residents, landscapers, and farmers given the same choice?

🔴 No Real Alternative Exists

  • Battery-powered blowers are not as powerful, cannot run all day, and often need frequent repairs.

  • Farmers rely on gas-powered blowers to maintain their barns, machinery, and roadways—this ban will hurt Maryland agriculture.

  • If battery-powered blowers were truly better, people would naturally switch—there is no need for a ban.

How You Can Help Stop This Ban

📢 Spread the Word

  • Share this page with friends, family, landscapers, and business owners who will be affected.

  • Post about it on social media using #StopMDLeafBlowerBan.

✉️ Contact Your Legislators

  • Call or email your state representatives and tell them you oppose HB0701.

  • Use this email template: [Link to email template]

  • Find your representatives: [Link to Maryland General Assembly directory]

📝 Sign the Petition

  • Help us show lawmakers how many Marylanders oppose this unnecessary ban.

  • [Link to petition]

📍 Attend Public Hearings & Speak Out

  • Join us in Annapolis to make your voice heard!

  • Check the hearing schedule: [Link to Maryland General Assembly website]

Time is Running Out – Take Action Today!

This proposed ban will hurt small businesses, cost jobs, and make life more expensive for Marylanders. We must act now to protect our right to choose the tools that work best for us.

Stand with Maryland business owners, landscapers, farmers, and homeowners—say NO to HB0701!