A Proposed Certification For Landscape Contractors

Originated in 1983 as an in-state test by the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), the CLT program was designed to promote a standard certification that highlights a landscape professional’s qualifications. In 1992 Washington became one of the first states, along with Colorado and Oregon, to purchase the program from CLCA and hold CLT testing. WALP developed the test for Washington and is once again at the forefront of landscape professional certification with the proposed addition. The Advanced Horticultural Management test is currently under consideration by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), which now owns the CLT program.

The primary advantage of the standardized CLT program is the ability of property managers, builders, developers and municipalities to pre-qualify potential contractors for construction, grounds maintenance and irrigation. According to WALP, "The CLT program provides landscape architects, the building industry and the public with a means of identifying qualified landscape professionals. For the landscape employer the program provides a method for screening and selecting qualified employees. For the landscape employee it offers the opportunity for professional advancement and prestige within the landscape industry."

ALCA offers both interior and exterior certifications. To become an Interior CLT one must pass a written exam. To become an Exterior CLT, one must pass a written exam and field tests in the certification desired. LCOs have the choice of being certified in one or more of the following exterior classifications:

• Installation – which demonstrates that an individual has the skills needed for installing landscape, hardscape and irrigation systems as well as knowledge of plant material and planting techniques and the ability to work from landscape plans and specifications to implement a design in the field.



• Maintenance – which demonstrates that an individual has the skill to operate equipment commonly used in grounds maintenance, has knowledge of plants, planting and pruning techniques, turf management, chemical applications and irrigation system maintenance.



• Irrigation – which demonstrates that an individual can install and maintain an irrigation system and fully understands irrigation audits and the fundamentals of water management.

In addition to the above certifications, there are also advanced endorsements – masonry, carpentry and irrigation management – which provide a level of certification above and beyond the regular CLT designation. Tests for these endorsements can only be administered to existing CLTs. The advanced endorsement classification is where WALP’s proposed Advanced Horticultural Management test fits into the CLT program. Only CLTs with a certification in maintenance are eligible to take the proposed endorsement, according to Peter Dervin, executive director of WALP.

THE PROPOSED ENDORSEMENT. Washington has been going through several years of political turmoil related to water management, prompting the need by government to come up with some sort of solution to the problems. These problems have been impacting green industry professionals in the state and, according to Dervin, started in 1992 with the "mismanagement" of reservoir water by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). "In the summer [of 1992] we ended up with a drought situation. When that happened, the landscape and nursery industry was impacted. Water restrictions were imposed, and people could not water their lawns or shrubs," explained Dervin. "The public stopped buying plant materials and stopped contracting lawn services. And basically the landscape and nursery industry had a big financial impact based on this situation."

Because the local green industry felt victimized by this process, Dervin said the industry has since worked with the city of Seattle to develop a water contingency plan. "It evolved some new standards so that if we have a situation like that again, new lawns still have the ability to be watered and so forth," he said. The latest development in the relationship between the Seattle green industry and government started in 1998 as industry leaders met with SPU and King County Solid Waste Division (KCSWD), the local waste management department, to discuss the proposed Natural Lawn Care Program. The basis of this program is the management of grasscycling, mulch mowing, integrated pest management practices and water efficiency, according to Dervin.

In early 1998 SPU and KCSWD had the Natural Lawn Care Program developed and ready to implement. However, Dervin explained that green industry leaders felt there were areas of misinformation in the program, such as correct pesticide and fertilizer use and proper grass mulching practices. Because the government was expecting to put this program into effect immediately, Dervin explained that "everybody in the industry was pretty bent out of shape again that government put the cart before the horse. So we all kind of walked away from that meeting disgusted at the process of how we’re not communicating."

Later in 1998 SPU and KCSWD approached Dervin to talk further about the program. Dervin said government wanted to "see what can be done to move this thing forward because [SPU and KCSWD] are doing this program whether industry is on board or not." Because of the discrepancies with the Natural Lawn Care Program, Dervin realized working together was the key to creating an accurate and valuable program. "We as industry want to work with government to address these issues," he said to SPU and KCSWD. "What we need to do is create new business opportunities and determine how we educate industry and the public at the same time in regards to other options in providing a great landscape and a great landscape service."

This discussion led to talk about the CLT program. "[SPU and KCSWD] were very intrigued that industry had this certification program that was now a national program," said Dervin. So the question arose about how they were going to get the Natural Lawn Care Program out to the public and to green industry professionals. That’s when Dervin decided to research the process of developing an advanced endorsement – the Advanced Horticultural Management test.

In the winter of 1998, Dervin received permission from Kim Pratt, former ALCA certification manager, that he could pursue the research and development of the proposed endorsement. Dervin and WALP then developed sections of this test and in May 1999 held a partial pilot test. Dervin then made a presentation to ALCA in November and was given authorization to continue the development phase of the program. This year WALP is holding a full pilot test of the program. "Our second pilot test will happen on May 20 in conjunction with our standard CLT test," said Dervin. "I have eight existing CLTs as pilot candidates, and through this pilot process, the candidates give us input."

After the full pilot test, Dervin will present results to the ALCA National Landscape Technician Council. He is then hoping for approval to make the Advanced Horticultural Management test a national advanced endorsement. "We look forward to being presented with Peter’s results," said ALCA Certification Coordinator Marcia Higgins.

Dervin is optimistic about getting approval. However, he said some people claim the program is too specific to the Pacific Northwest. "What we’re finding is that every part of the country has some type of environmental impact," Dervin said. "This document can be adaptable to the needs of a particular region to fit their needs. This is just meant to be a framework, or an outline, as to how to achieve these things."

BARRIERS TO ENDORSEMENT. Naturally, the locality concern is not the only one. One of the main reasons the proposed endorsement is being developed is the need for landscape professionals and others to comply with chemical regulations. Those regulations have been increasing in the Pacific Northwest as a result of the recent listing of seven species of salmon on the endangered species list and the announcement that fertilizer runoff is plaguing the Pacific coastline. "This is a very sensitive subject in the industry," said Dervin. "There are the chemical companies, manufacturers and distributors that feel their products are safe and good products, and then you have government agencies saying [people can’t] use these products anymore."

Certain organizations associated with WALP are against the organization’s involvement in cooperating with SPU and KCSWD. For example, one fertilizer manufacturer has pulled ads out of WALP publications because it thinks the Advanced Horticultural Management test and the Natural Lawn Care Program are not based on science. "The difficult thing in our industry is that there are fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and all the other various products that are available. And we’re not interested in banning anything. We’re interested in the proper use of these products and that professionals are the ones that should be doing it." Referring to the do-it-yourselfers who go to local hardware stores, buy the products and misuse them, Dervin says, "That’s probably more of the problem than anything else. But how do regulate that?"

The Natural Lawn Care Program is designed to handle that regulation through education of the public. In addition, Dervin says WALP’s support of the program shows its proactive stance on green industry education. "The intent of the Advanced Horticultural Management program is to educate industry on alternative practices, or optional practices, not to mitigate what we already use. As professionals, we already use the best means, use the products correctly and do all the right things to make sure that we don’t have problems," Dervin said. "But the consumer is starting to dictate that they want options, and as professionals in an environmental industry – we are stewards of the landscape – we need to be able to respond to the consumers’ demands that they want other means to do it."

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction to the call of eliminating pesticides," Dervin continued. "The case was, ‘How do we create a business opportunity out of the desire from government as well as the public to address water quality issues?’ And ‘How is the industry going to be involved in that process?’ The CLT program became a strong valid opportunity because it is recognized nationally."

The Natural Lawn Care Program arose from government’s concerns about water quality, water efficiency (or quantity) and solid waste elimination, in the form of reducing grass clippings. The government first tried to develop this program based on its concerns but failed due to a lack of knowledge. "Part of this is an education for them as well because they don’t know industry that well," explained Dervin. "And being able to work with industry to develop this program, there have been some characteristics that have come out that have been awakening to them."

Dervin adamantly defends WALP’s involvement in working with government to make sure the program developed with everyone’s interests in mind. "When we started this process, I was sticking my neck out because I wasn’t even getting the support from other affiliated state associations. Part of the message I got from other people was ‘You can’t trust government.’ I understand that component, but I don’t want to be put in the position that, because I turned my back on them, they knock on my door and give me the piece of paper that says, ‘We tried to get you on board. And since you didn’t, we had to make these decisions to regulate you.’"

"We need to be working proactively and cooperatively to ensure that we as landscape professionals are the ones people turn to when they want to address these issues," said Dervin. "We have the ability to give them answers – that’s the biggest component. We need to be able to provide alternatives."

As a final note, the Natural Lawn Care Program is underway with the recent announcement that a Puget Sound area neighborhood is trading in its gas-powered mowers for electric mulching mowers. Also, 15 households in the neighborhood have agreed to pull weeds instead of spraying them and to water their lawns once a week instead of once a day. The program is also promoting trade-ins and discounts on electric mulch mowers.

For more information about the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals, please visit WALP’s web site at www.walp.org or e-mail Peter Dervin, executive director, at pdervin@walp.org.

For more information about the Certified Landscape Technician program, visit the Associated Landscape Contractors of America’s web site at www.alca.org.