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Let’s collectively transition away from gas-powered leaf blowers for a healthier environment and Island community.
Seasonal leaf blower regulations are now in effect in five Martha’s Vineyard towns, marking a step toward reducing noise, air pollution, and fossil fuel use across the Island.
In 2025, a group of citizens from across the Island, with support from the Vineyard Conservation Society (VCS), studied the impacts of leaf blowers and proposed regulations establishing limits on when they can be used while setting a path toward phasing out gas-powered models. Residents approved the bylaw during 2025 Town Meetings in Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury.
“We are excited that the community is taking this step,” said Zada Clarke, VCS director of advocacy. The bylaws help transition away from fossil fuels and make for quieter neighborhoods.
“As much as we want to be able to do our spring cleanup, we also should be able to enjoy time outside with our kids, with our grandkids, with our guests lying in a hammock, gardening,” said Samantha Look, executive director of VCS.
What Are the Rules?
Gas-powered leaf blowers are only allowed during designated times for spring and fall cleanup periods; they are restricted during the summer months.
Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Are Only Allowed:
- Spring: March 15 through May 31
- Fall: October 15 through January 15
Current regulations apply to homeowners and commercial landscapers in West Tisbury, Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, and Edgartown. In Chilmark, they currently apply to only commercial operators. Vineyard Haven has restrictions that apply only to gas-powered leaf blowers.
Hours You Can Use Electric or Gas-Powered* Leaf Blowers:
(*You can only use gas-powered leaf blowers in the spring and fall)
- Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Edgartown allows use beginning at 8 a.m.)
Sunday and holiday restrictions vary by town:
- West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs: No leaf blower use.
- Tisbury: Electric leaf blowers allowed; gas-powered leaf blowers prohibited.
- Edgartown and Chilmark: Commercial operators may not use leaf blowers.
No more than two leaf blowers may be used simultaneously on a single property.
Beginning in spring 2028, gas-powered leaf blowers will be prohibited entirely in towns that adopted the bylaw.
Why Regulate Leaf Blowers?
The regulations were adopted in response to concerns about noise, air pollution, climate impacts, and ecological health.
Gas-powered leaf blowers routinely exceed 100 decibels at the operator's ear and can remain above the World Health Organization's recommended residential outdoor noise limit (55 dB) even hundreds of feet away. Excessive noise has been linked to hearing loss, elevated stress levels, and disruptions to work, learning, and daily life.
Their small gasoline engines are also highly inefficient and emit disproportionately high levels of pollutants relative to their size. They continue burning fuel even at idle, while electric motors use power only when needed. Two-stroke engines that burn a mix of gas and oil are particularly wasteful and polluting. One study found common leaf blower models produced about four times the nitrogen oxides, 20 times the carbon monoxide, and 36 to 300 times the hydrocarbons of a Ford F-150 Raptor. These pollutants worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions, cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea, and are linked to serious health problems including neurological disorders, heart disease, and cancer — with children, older adults, and equipment operators facing particular risks.
Beyond human health, leaf blowers remove the organic matter that protects and nourishes soil while disrupting insects and other organisms that depend on leaf litter.
“Countless organisms live in leaf litter,” said Rich Couse, program director of BiodiversityWorks’ Natural Neighbors program. “Among them are Luna moths, Mourning Cloak butterflies, and roughly 140 of Martha’s Vineyard’s native bee species, all of which require leaf litter to survive the winter.”
The regulations are intended to support a gradual transition to quieter, cleaner electric equipment while preserving the health of both Island residents and local ecosystems.
For more information on Vineyard leaf blower regulations, click here.
