When politics is the topic, temperatures can often run high. But participants in this year’s Turf and Ornamental Communicator’s Association roundtable -- at the Green Industry Expo on Nov. 15 -- kept their composure as green industry legislation steered the conversation. Panelists John Meredith, director of legislative relations for the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA); Bill Hoopes, immediate past president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) and director or training, development and regulatory affairs for Scotts Lawn Service, Marysville, Ohio; and Jim Skillen, manager of formulators issues for Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), each gave their opinions on a range of legislative topics.
In his statement, Meredith asserted that the most significant issue right now is labor, reminding attendees of the green industry’s strong ties to immigration. From participating in strategic planning and policy initiatives on Capitol Hill to pushing for comprehensive H2B reform, Meredith maintained that ANLA has continued to be represented in Congress and has encouraged other groups to do the same.
The industry “must continue speaking in the same unified voice that it has been for the past 10 years,” he enthused, acknowledging the need for groups to communicate and collaborate with their congressional leaders. Hoopes agreed, saying that members of the industry must be more proactive when it comes to legislation.
On behalf of PLCAA, Hoopes discussed concerns over pesticide use in Canada. “The perception is that Canada is Europe,” he noted, indicating that American contractors often think what goes on in Canada has little impact on what happens in the United States. On the contrary, the organized anti-pesticide front in Canada has been able to place strict bans on chemical use there, and similar restrictions are already being proposed and enacted in the United States.
“Canada can be a bell cow,” Hoopes stated, going on to explain that uniformly implementing voluntary integrated pest management (IPM) programs can show Americans the prudent use of pesticides is not harmful. “Not only is pesticide use not bad,” Hoopes continued, “it is fantastically beneficial to the environment.” Contractors, associations and industry leaders must come together to impact this pesticide legislation.
For RISE, Skillen also discussed legislation on chemical use, particularly policy regarding spray drift which concerns the number of pesticide particles that may get lost in the air on their way to plants or other application targets. Skillen maintained that the registration process limits chemical use so strictly that minimal droplets being out of place can bring trouble for lawn care companies. In a similar vein, he also referred to the School Environmental Protection Act (SEMA) on which RISE compromised with anti-pesticide legislators to allow use of a defined IPM program in place of a strict pesticide ban. In order for SEMA to pass, Skillen insisted that suppliers and industry members make themselves heard in Congress.
Obviously, panelists at the TOCA roundtable came to the consensus that the green industry must become more proactive and make a bigger mark in Washington, D.C. “There is a fine line,” Meredith noted, “between people serving Congress and non-congressional people writing legislation.” Considering this, generating independent industry data, becoming more effectively represented on Capitol Hill, and most importantly, creating relationships with congressional officials during their campaigns and their terms in office are efforts in which all members of the green industry can participate.
The author is Assistant Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at lspiers@lawnandlandscape.com.