Regulations at the municipal level can have a profound impact on your business. How to pull the strings your way. With the 2016 election quickly approaching, business owners everywhere are wondering who will win the presidential race and how the political makeup of Congress will change. And no wonder: The decisions of the voters will determine legislation that helps or... read more
Two recent actions by Pennsylvania and Maryland are tightening controls on invasive plants in those states. Five other states in the Northeastern U.S. have laws and regulations that ban certain plant species that have been deemed invasive: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Maryland The Maryland Department of Agriculture published a regulation on February 5 (see page 284)... read more
The Obama Administration, now in its last year, is trying to push through a number of new regulations that will affect landscape contractors before time runs out. Here is a run-down of the new regulatory packages that may impact your business and one that may not. New Pesticide Rules One of the latest regulatory changes proposed by the Environmental Protection... read more
As the government relations consultant for the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA), one of the most frequent calls I get is from members who have just had one of their trucks pulled over by the police and been given a huge fine for violations of state and federal motor carrier safety regulations. Fines in these instances often will run... read more
State and local governments are beginning to outlaw bamboo as a nuisance or are regulating how and where it can be planted. Bamboo has often been used as landscape “problem solver.” Certain species of bamboo grow quickly, forming a dense screen that can reach 40 feet or more. The straight bamboo canes offer an interesting visual backdrop and the narrow... read more
There’s a growing optimism about current economic conditions in the irrigation industry, according to a recent survey by the Irrigation Association (IA). The survey, conducted annually by the IA to gauge the state of the industry, provided that 70 percent of respondents indicated total sales in 2013 were greater than those in 2012. More than 110 contractors from 33 states... read more
