Director’s Corner
Believe it or not…
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
“B
elieve it or not, here is an industry group seeking regulation.” The significance of that statement is magnified greatly when one considers who said it and to whom it was directed. (For clarification, we are asking for proper enforcement of existing laws, not for more regulations.) A Richmond-based official with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) made that comment after we briefly discussed the need for more regulatory resources. Virginia already has pesticide and fertilizer codes that protect the environment and the applicator
while allowing businesses to function. We should know. We were part of a diverse coalition that helped shape many of them. While the existing code is good, problems with inconsistent enforcement have become manifest in recent years. Turf and landscape industries are getting a black eye in some regions of the state because of this inconsistency. The root of the problem lies in VDACS inability to hire enough inspectors who are the proverbial “boots on the ground.” The statement was made to a newly hired VDACS specialist who is tasked to work with industries such as ours on commercial pesticide certification.
8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2019 www.vaturf.org
I am very pleased that we have developed great relationships with persons in state agencies such as VDACS. We do not always agree on specifics, but we are of one mind regarding the need to protect the environment and the need to allow industry to function. Disagreements are handled in an amiable and productive manner because we respect one another – a respect built on decades of conversation. We saw many anti-pesticide and anti-fertilizer bills introduced during the recent General Assembly session. The bills failed for various reasons, but their presence revealed a deep issue. Namely, several legislators from urban areas believe our industry is misapplying fertilizers and pesticides. Is that belief based on fact? I don’t know. But I do know persons who hold that belief write laws that affect us. At least one prominent legislator points to specific companies he believes are part of the problem. If improper applications of pesticides and fertilizers are happening, our focus must be on asking for proper enforcement of existing regulations. Too often, elected officials see increased regulations as the solution. I will keep you posted. c
