PLNA Keeps Eye on State Budget

In its first quarter Green Report, the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association (PLNA) outlined several state budgetary matters affecting nursery and landscape professionals throughout the state. Chief among the concerns are budget cuts threatening agricultural research and university extension services.

According to the report, the state Department of Agriculture’s budget is a decrease of more than 7 percent from last year’s budget. As a result, agricultural research; agriculture promotion, education and exports; product promotion and marketing; and crop insurance could all see reduced budgets.

“We don’t know yet what aspects of research and other agricultural areas will be hardest hit,” commented PLNA President Greg Robertson. “There will be a decrease in the amount of funding available. What’s in the wind is that there are also some cuts in research extension service funding.”

To this end, PLNA’s report cited that Penn State University is facing a $16 million decrease in funding. Though the organization hoped its members would help counteract the budget cuts through a letter-writing campaign directed at state legislators, PLNA is now setting its focus on the second part of the state’s budget planning.

“We’re actually in the process of really looking at this budget issue and determining where we should best spend our energies,” noted Michelle Rudloff, PLNA government relations director. “We hoped there would be an opportunity to look to restore some funding in the first approved budget, but at this point it appears that those items will not be open for discussion. We’re focusing our time now on the second part of the budget – the economic stimulus package and the basic education funding that needs to be put in place.”

The second part of the budget plan includes proposals for property tax reform, which could have a significant impact on PLNA members and other Pennsylvania green industry professionals with land holdings. Additionally, proposed personal income tax increases may end up pulling at PLNA members’ wallets.

There is one bright spot in the budget, however. “Another piece of the budget is a proposed economic development fund,” Rudloff mentioned. “It’s $100 million that would be designated for agriculture and tourism, and the reason they picked those industries is because they’re Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in largest employers and economic impact on the state. We’re right now working with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Community and Economic Development to see how best our members can take advantage of those funds.”

PLNA reported that Pennsylvania’s production nurseries will benefit from that $100 million pool earmarked for the Small Business First Loan Program. The organization is currently exploring opportunities for landscape contractors and retail centers to benefit as well. One approach may include attempts to fold green industry interests into the tourism trade as a way to gain some funding.

More information on PLNA’s efforts in the state legislature can be found on the PLNA Web site.

The author is Assistant Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at lspiers@lawnandlandscape.com.