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50 Landscape and Irrigation April 2014 www.landscapeirrigation.com t's legislative season — a time when elected officials either take action on, or defer making, decisions on a variety of issues. Each day during the legislative sessions is an opportunity for the introduction of a bill that can have an impact on a lawn care company's ability to service its customers and stay profitable. Currently, 11 states have no limit on the length of time they are in regular session. The remaining 39 have limits that are set by consti- tution, statute, chamber rule, or indirect method — and some are in session for 30, 60 or 90 days (not calendar days). PLANET continues to monitor states for bills being introduced that can negatively affect the lawn care industry. When a bill or reg- ulation that could be harmful is introduced at the state level, indi- vidual companies, the state association, and PLANET can work together to defeat it. The companies at the state level are most im- portant in this effort because they are constituents, and regulators and legislators will listen to them. No one group can single-handedly solve all the diverse issues our industry has to face; and that is why coalitions with other groups and associations are formed, and are important. Because of the concerns about the pesticides and fertilizers we use, we need to work with in- dustry suppliers to explain to regulators the importance of these prod- ucts. Doing so may save us from undue regulation or loss of products. One class of products, neonicotinoids, has been under attack be- cause one was misapplied to ornamental trees, and this resulted in the death of a large number of bees. PLANET is presently working with manufacturers to survey the industry about the use of neoni- cotinoids to present a better case to the EPA about the benefits of retaining this class of pesticides and the way it is applied. We hope PLANET's membership on the EPA's Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) will help get our voice heard. To make the process of being heard by a legislator even easier, letters on the various issues can be found on PLANET's Legislative Action Center on LandcareNetwork.org under the Government Affairs section. These letters can quickly and easily be sent to legis- lators. Many states have lobbyists who are an invaluable resource for giving the coalition group direction after they talk to those spon- soring the regulation or legislation. Sometimes, the best action is no action, because the proposed rule or regulation may have been done just to satisfy a constituent, and there is no plan to actually act on it. In addition to taking your concerns to your legislator, you should, if you're not already doing so, educate the public on the ben- efits of turfgrass use and its care. "Grass Roots," a four-year exhibit on turfgrass, which recently opened at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., promises to be a very informative resource in your education effort. Grass Roots will focus on the environmental, economic, aesthetic, and recreational benefits of turfgrass in land- scapes, golf courses, and athletic fields. Because of the growing concerns about water quantity and quality, there is a serious attempt to limit the amount of turfgrass being al- lowed to be used in the landscape of new building developments. Green building codes, such as those put forth by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, The In- ternational Code Council, International Green Construction Code, Sustainable Sites Initiative, LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Envi- ronmental Design, include impacts on landscape designs. This is an- other issue that will take a coordinated effort on the part of many associations to ensure it does not negatively impact our industry. All these efforts need an important element, and that's you. We all need to make a case for the value of turfgrass with those groups that want to condemn its continued use and care, and participate in legislative activities. Tom Delaney, is director of government affairs at the Professional Land- care Network (PLANET). He can be reached via e-mail at Tom Delaney@landcarenetwork.org. LI Staying Current Image above ©istockphoto.com/Veni By Tom Delaney I Combined efforts are needed to meet landscape industry challenges