Getting Educated on Natural Grass & Synthetic Turf at 2019 Summer #MACoCon

L to R: Jeremy Kortwright, Kathleen Burley, Rick Anthony, Mary Lehman

County parks and recreation officials offered their perspectives on natural grass, synthetic turf, and heat policies at the 2019 MACo Summer Conference during the “Play Ball: What You Need to Know About Natural and Synthetic Turf” panel on August 15.

The panelists responded to five prepared questions. The questions included:

  • How does your county incorporate natural grass and synthetic turf fields into your athletic and recreational programs?
  • What are the advantages and drawbacks of natural grass fields?
  • What are the advantages and drawbacks of synthetic turf fields?
  • Heat can be a problem regardless of the type of field you play on. What policies and best practices do counties have in place to address heat issues?
  • What are some of the challenges related to the disposal of synthetic turf and what could be done to better manage this issue?
L to R: Jeremy Kortright, Kathleen Burley, Rick Anthony, Mary Lehman

The panelists included Maryland Association of County Park and Recreation Administrators and Harford County Director of Parks and Recreation Kathleen Burley, Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks Director Rick Anthony, and Frederick County Parks and Recreation Director Jeremy Kortright.

Maryland Delegate Mary Lehman moderated the panel.