MLNA awards new member Hansen’s Tree Service as MLNA Green Leader and congratulates them for being finalist is the Hero of the Planet Awards!

MLNA awards new member Hansen’s Tree Service as MLNA Green Leader and congratulates them for being finalist is the Hero of the Planet Awards!

Hansen’s Tree Service was founded by Jeff Hansen in 1988. The company performs residential and commercial tree services, including diagnosis, treatment, pruning, tree removal and stump removal. In addition to 100 percent green waste recycling, Hansen’s also stands out because of its dedication to professional certification programs and staff development. Hansen’s is the first and only tree care company in Missouri to be accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and employs nine ISA certified arborists. For more information, visit www.hansenstree.com.

ANLA and the Lighthouse Program

Dear Green Industry Voter,

This November 4th, as voters head to the polls across the country, the future public policy direction and fate of the green industry will be determined by candidates who prevail in the national general election. While media outlets are saturated with coverage of the Presidential race, receiving far less attention are down-ballot races where 435 U.S. House seats and over a third of the U.S. Senate seats are at stake.

Do you really know where your local candidates for federal office stand on issues of importance to the industry?

ANLA and the Lighthouse Program are pleased to present the 2008 ANLA/Lighthouse Voter Guide. This non-partisan, informational guide will help you better understand where some of the hot races are throughout the country in Lighthouse states, the voting record for your Representative or Senator on issues of importance to the green industry during the 110th Congress, and a review of industry champions that have received approval and contributions by and from your peers on the ANLA-PAC Advisory Committee. This information is available to the industry thanks to the Lighthouse Program and our state association partners.

Regardless of your political affiliation or philosophy, make sure to review the ANLA/Lighthouse Voter Guide on issues as they pertain to our industry. Remember that an educated voter is the best voter. One last thing…don’t forget to vote on November 4th!

To view the voter guide, click here.

Best regards,

Corey Connors
Director of Legislative Relations
ANLA

Pest News Kansas City, MO does preemptive strike against EAB

Kansas City gets money to replace ash trees downtown before dreaded bug arrives Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO
10-15-08
by Matt Campbell, mcampbell@kcstar.com

Kansas City will get $10,000 from the state conservation department to replace 53 of the most susceptible ash trees downtown with other species before the dreaded emerald ash borer gets here.
Actually, the metallic green beetle, which has killed an estimated 100 million ash trees in other parts of the country, may already be here but just hasn’t been detected yet, said City Forester Forest Decker. But if it’s not, it soon will be.
And there will still be plenty for the destructive bugs to eat. Decker says there are more than 42,000 ash trees in the public right of way in Kansas City alone.

News and Events MLNA Salutes Heroes of the Planet Award Finalists with MLNA Green Leader Recognition

MLNA salutes Heroes of the Planet Award Finalists with Missouri Landscape & Nursery Green Leader Recognition. MLNA recognizes each of these finalists as winners within the green industry because of their high standards. "They each have set a positive example of environmental sustainability. We are so proud to have them here as an influence on our region" says MaryAnn Fink, Executive Director of MLNA, the statewide professional green industry association.
Congratulations to each of you!

St. Louis Business Journal and Missouri Botanical Garden will present this first annual award Oct 23rd, 2008. It is proudly sponsored by UMB Bank, Veolia Environmental Services and Oracle.

MLNA thanks these sponsors for recognizing environmental stewardship.

SUSTAINABLE VISIONARY

Kay and Leo Drey

Sustainable Communities

Alberici Constructors Boa Construction Company Inc. Clayco Inc.

Sustainable Employee Programs

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman HOK RideFinders

Sustainable Operations

Hansen’s Tree Service Nestle Purina Petcare Company Saint Louis Brewery Inc.

Sustainable Products

EPC Pedro’s Planet Sage Homebuilders

Sustainable Alliances

American Lung Association Energy Solutions U.S. Green Building Council-St. Louis Chapter

Giving Green

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Monsanto Company William A. Kerr Foundation

For more information about these finalist and their accomplishments visit these links and read the St. Louis Business Journal. Please send a note of thanks to each for their sustainable stewardship.

Low Impact Development Practice -A practice worth perfecting

Storm water runoff continues to be a concern in communities large and small across Missouri and throughout the United States. Currently there are a number of cooperative public outreach education programs, professional training seminars and conference opportunities and an increasing number of incentive programs that introduce various aspects of Low Impact Development (LID) practices to assist with management of targeted pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids. and storm water
MLNA wished to encourage its members to review these topics and consider promoting these practices as a business as well to the public. Become informed and create your niche based on any or all of these practices that protect our environment


Ten Common LID Practices
1. Rain Gardens and Bioretention
2. Rooftop Gardens / Shield Systems
3. Sidewalk Porous surface & Storm Water Filtering
4. Vegetated Swales, Buffers, and Strips; Tree Preservation
5. Roof Leader Disconnection
6. Rain Barrels and Cisterns
7. Permeable Pavers
8. Soil Amendments; Organic
9. Impervious Surface Reduction and Disconnection
10. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/storm/chap12.asp

Pervious Paving Research

From RMC Research & Education Foundation:
The RMC Research & Education Foundation has released a pervious concrete research report. The study Portland Cement Pervious Concrete Pavement: Field Performance Investigation on Parking Lot and Roadway Pavements was conducted at Cleveland State University over a three-year period. Field observations and testing were conducted at sites in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Colorado, and Pennsylvania with results validating that pervious concrete has performed well in freeze-thaw environments, with little maintenance required.
Notable points Comment: Little Maintenance required - music to our ears, if it holds up. Inclusion of freeze-thaw climate areas should answer some questions that have been lingering for some.
(Firestone is marketing a pervious paving product made from recycled tire material. Applications for vehicular use seem sketchy, but a sweet specification for hardscapes and walks. Check it out at http://www.firestonesp.com/sustainable_products.asp)

Grow Up Green Roof Tour Announcement Scheduling Change

MLNA is pleased to announce a rescheduling of the Grow Up –Green Roof and Wall tour for late May 2009. Not cancelled but delayed to make it a bigger and better tour! This will be a better time frame to see these wonderful projects that showcase our MLNA members and this “growing “trend”. It will be hosted by Jost Greenhouse and Green Roof Blocks.
Missouri Landscape & Nursery members, all Allied Industry Organizations (AIO) Members including the St. Louis Regional Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects as well as any interested green industry professionals and will be invited. Watch for the date and further announcements as the MLNA 2009 calendar year is filling fast!

Growing with you,

Vic JostJost Greenhouses
12340-48 Eckelmann Lane
Des Peres, Mo. 63131

sales@jostgreenhouses.com

http://www.jostgreenhouses.com/

phone: (314) 821-2834

fax: (314) 821-4950

MoTOC sponsored events St Louis and Kansas City

MoTOC sponsored event

“Good To Great” December 3-4, 2008

If you are a part of the Green Industry, the Missouri Turf and Ornamental Council (MoTOC, formerly MVTA), Gateway Chapter Sports Turf Managers Association (GCSTMA) and the Gateway Irrigation Association (GIA) would like to invite you to the Missouri Green Industry Conference to be held December 3-4 at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, MO (just west of St. Louis. The knowledge you gain from just one session may be what it takes to get you and your company over the top from “Good to Great.” Educational tracks include Irrigation, Category 3 Pesticide Applicator Recertification, Sports Turf, Lawn/Landscape and Business. The topics are what you need to get ahead and the speakers are some of the best in the industry. For more information, click here.

Kansas City Area

Heartland Green Industry Expo, “Common Ground” in Overland Park, KS. December 16 and 17, 2008

Missouri Turf and Ornamental Council, MoTOC, (formerly MVTA) is partnering for the third year with Mid America Green Industry Council (MAGIC), and Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association to provide an outstanding conference and equipment expo. There will be Educational Tracks in Sports Turf, Lawn/Landscaping, Business, and Golf.

For more information go to the MoTOC website at http://www.motoc.org/ or contact Mike Krone, President, Missouri Turf and Ornamental Council (MoTOC) at (314)392-2328, mkrone@motoc.org.

ALNA Event Notice

The Department of Homeland Security announced its final rule regarding how employers must handle mismatch letters from the Social Security Administration. Since an estimated 65-70 percent of nursery field work is done by undocumented workers, this new rule should rock the industry.

Federal Wage & Hour, Migrant Act and Immigration Compliance Seminar
Lead by Monte B. Lake

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 10 am-2 pm

With Lunch Speaker: Craig Regelbrugge

Cahaba Grand Conference Center
Ballroom J & M
3660 Grandview Parkway
Birmingham, Alabama

Department of Labor wage & hour and Federal Migrant audits and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration audits and raids are on the rise. Monte B. Lake is well-positioned to guide green industry employers on how to avoid compliance traps and common and costly mistakes with I-9’s, Social Security no-match letters, wage & hour and MSPA violations. This will be a hands-on session allowing plenty of time to have your questions answered.

Monte B. Lake is a nationally renowned agricultural labor attorney with the Washington DC based Siff & Lake, LLP. He is an expert consultant on employment law and immigration for the American Nursery & Landscape Association, and serves as a legal counselor and advisor to the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform.

Craig Regelbrugge is the Vice President of Government Relations and Research for the American Nursery & Landscape Association. He will be presenting a snapshot view of where we are on immigration reform and what the upcoming election may bring us.


Participating Partners:
Alabama Farmers Federation
Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association
Alabama Turfgrass Association
America Nursery & Landscape Association
Georgia Green Industry Association
Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association
In Cooperation with the Risk Management Agency

For more information contact: Craig J. Regelbrugge
Vice President for Gov't Relations and Research
American Nursery & Landscape Association
1000 Vermont Ave NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
202/789-2900; 202/741-4851 direct; 202/425-4401 cell
cregelbrugge@anla.org

MLNA members invited to join Grow Native Program

Become a GN Member now so you can attend membership meetings and learn more about promoting "home" while protecting Missouri's native flora!

The Grow Native! Membership Meeting and Workshop will be held Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City. (Meeting and workshop open to GN members only)

Guest speakers will include:
Alan Branhagen, Powell Gardens
Rob Didriksen, Missouri State Recycling Program
Sheri Bohrer, Forrest Keeling Nursery
Frank Oberle, Pure Air Native Seed
Amy Hamilton, Hamilton’s Native Outpost
Jim and Betty Grace, Grace Native Seed
Tammy Bruckerhoff, Grow Native! MDA
Barbara Fairchild, Grow Native! MDC

Grow Native! members may reserve a FREE exhibit space to display price lists, catalogs, business cards, flyers and product samples.

The meeting and workshop will be 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Registration fee for the workshop will be $10. Lunch included in registration.

Grow Native! 2009 Membership Kits and more information about the Membership Meeting & Workshop will be sent out soon via postal mail.

In the mean time, make plans to attend November 19 and mark your calendar today!

Hope to see you there!
Tammy

Tammy Bruckerhoff
Grow Native! MDA
P.O. Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102
P: 573-522-4170
F: 573-751-2868
www.grownative.org