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8 Arbor Age / March 2014 www.arborage.com INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS TCIA announces strategic partnerships with industry leaders The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), the national trade association for commercial and utility tree care companies, confirmed 13 tree care industry companies as partners in TCIA's Partners Advancing Commercial Tree Care (PACT) program for 2014. PACT is a strategic partnership between TCIA and industry companies who are invested in the future of the tree care indus- try. Their support of TCIA helps the growth and development of the entire industry, making it possible for a more profi table and safer industry. "Our partners are recognized throughout the industry for their prestige and influence," said Sarah Winslow, TCIA director of development. "And their support of our programs provides a valuable investment in the future of the industry." The 2014 partners include: CROWN • Altec • Bandit Industries, Inc. • Morbark • Husqvarna • Vermeer ROOT • Arborjet • George Fern SEED • Buckingham Manufacturing • Fanno Saws • Liberty Financial • Mauget • Northern Atlantic Financial • Weaver Leather Valent and Nufarm join forces Valent U.S.A. Corporation and Nufarm Americas Inc. announced that Valent has entered into an agreement that appoints Nufarm as the exclusive distributor of its branded products for professional turf, ornamental and aquatic uses in the United States. In doing so, Valent and Nufarm will effectively combine the product portfolios of the two companies into one broad portfolio that will be sold by Nufarm in the U.S. and will feature Nufarm's leading product offerings such as Escalade and Millennium Ultra Herbicides and its Cleary line of fungicides, along with Valent's best-in-class brands such as Safari Insecticide, Arena Insecticide, SureGuard and Clipper Herbicides and Tourney Fungicide. The newly combined portfolio of the two companies will be powered by a team of top talent from both Nufarm and Valent, as the sales and technical teams of both companies join forces to bring enhanced service and support to customers. "This partnership will unite two highly complementary busi- nesses to bring our customers one of the largest and most complete Investigation cites product misapplication as cause of bee deaths in Oregon The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced the findings of its investigation into bumblebee deaths at mul- tiple sites in Oregon last spring. In June, the ODA issued a temporary rule restricting the use of products containing the active ingredients dinotefuran and imidacloprid in the wake of four separate incidents. One of these incidents involved a foliar application of a Valent U.S.A. Corporation product, Safari Insecticide, to European linden trees during bloom — a violation of label instructions. The ODA report concludes that the unfortunate bumblebee deaths connected to the use of Safari were the direct result of a pri- vate commercial applicator "performing a pesticide applica- tion in a faulty, careless, or negligent manner." The ODA report stated that "the linden trees were clearly in bloom at the time of the pesticide applications. The product label states that the pesticide is known to be hazardous to bees when applied onto flowering trees in bloom and should not be used under those conditions." As a result of the ODA's determination of product misappli- cation, the applicator company in question and its representa- tives have been issued civil penalties totaling $1,665. As part of its decision not to pursue making the temporary use restriction a permanent rule, the ODA requested that Valent include new language on Safari labels prohibiting its application "to linden, basswood or other Tilia species" based on findings that these "tree species' natural toxicity to bumblebees in combination with the pesticide contributed to the bumblebee deaths." Valent takes the subject of pollinator health very seriously, and is updating the Safari product label with new language to prohibit its use on linden, basswood or other Tilia species. This label update will apply to Safari use nationwide, and takes effect March 1, 2014. In addition, Valent has lifted the temporary hold on ship- ments of Valent insecticides containing dinotefuran to Oregon, since the ODA temporary use restriction expired on Dec. 24, 2013. "While the incident that took place in Wilsonville, Ore., last spring was extremely unfortunate, the outcome of the ODA investigation and its decision to allow the temporary use restrictions to expire confirm our understanding that this was an isolated incident resulting from an application that did not follow the clear product label use restrictions," said Eric Tamichi, manager of registration and regulatory affairs for Valent U.S.A. Corporation. "Valent products are extensively tested according to rigor- ous scientific guidelines and are labeled to protect the health and safety of consumers, workers and the environment, including pollinators," he added. "We are actively conducting outreach and education with our customers and industry part- ners to reinforce the importance of responsible use according to label guidelines."