Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/251509
18 WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION holds a valid pesticide applicator certificate and purchase an annual Pesticide User License for each facility for $250. AGA-BC supports this change and has asked for a reduced Pesticide User License fee per facility. 2. Holding a Pesticide User License means that the employer of the certified applicator will now have legal obligations to practice IPM, inform users of the land about applications, keep specified records and submit an annual summary of pesticide use to the Ministry. AGA-BC supports this regulation requirement and has asked the Ministry to develop a separate certificate for Golf Course Applicators to include Non-Cosmetic use of Fungicides. This suggestion has been put forth by AGA to separate our applicator certificate from the present Landscape General Certificate. 3. If a Golf course does not have an employee who possesses a valid applicator's license they may hire the services of a Service Company who holds a valid certificate and has paid a Service License Fee of between $250 and $1250. AGA-BC supports this rationale and requests that these companies hold a Golf Course applicator certificate. 4. There is a new category being proposed for assistant applicators. The proposed regulations state that a certificate holder must be working with the employee holding an assistant applicator license. AGA-BC supports an assistant applicator's license and has asked that, provided a valid certificate holder is on property and has a communication device to be in contact with the assistant, this would be acceptable. The assistant applicator's certificate could serve as a training period for future applicator certificate holders. 5. The implementation time frame has been suggested as being the Spring of 2014 for facilities applying pesticides in private landscaped areas. AGA-BC has asked the Ministry for a time frame of the fall of 2015 to enable our members in the golf industry to become certified and purchase the Certified User License. Following a review of the proposed regulations, as stated in a letter sent out to the members of the BCGSA in early December, your Board of Directors believe that offering education at regional meetings that are eligible for CEC's as well as offering a credit coordinator service for CEC point tracking to our members, is important. There are a number of BCGSA members or their staff who presently hold an applicator's certificate who are not presently members of the WCTA. This decision has triggered a new set of discussions between the BCGSA and WCTA Boards in regard to member services, overlap of these services and the need to work together towards a common goal for the betterment of our turf management professions. On January 15th, your BCGSA Board held a Board meeting along with Executive Director of the CGSA Ken Cousineau and Executive Director Jerry Rousseau and WCTA President Keith Lyall to discuss the upcoming conference, future conferences, issues relating to each of our associa- tions and the CEC program moving forward. As a result of this meeting, follow-up meetings are being planned towards the end of January to bring our Boards together to discuss member services and the future of our Associations working together. After today's meeting, I sense that although there have been and will be bumps along the way, sound decisions will be made for the betterment of all involved. Sincerely, Dean Piller WCTA Continued from Page 16