A Voice for the Industry

Government officials and the regulations they create affect everyone in the turfgrass and landscape industries. From applying fertilizers to hiring workers to dealing with stormwater and noise restrictions, federal, state, and local governments reach deep into our businesses.

The VTC seeks to be a voice for the industry – representing you to persons and agencies whose pen stroke can make or break your livelihood. Sometimes the response is very positive, like when a U.S. Congressman called VTC Member Ray Funkhouser at home to ask a question about turfgrass.

Sometimes our job is to interpret – or decode – regulations for our members. For instance, here is one gem from the IRS: For purposes of paragraph (3), an organization described in paragraph (2) shall be deemed to include an organization described in section 501(c)(4),(5), or (6) which would be described in paragraph (2) if it were an organization described in section 501(c)(3)*

Fortunately, most agencies and their regulations do not reach this degree of insanity. In most cases common sense still prevails and many Virginia regulatory agencies seek to use plain English. But we still work to interpret bureaucratese when it is found so we can explain its implications for our industry.

Because regulatory agencies are so important, this issue of the Journal presents a new feature that highlights the ones that affect us. An article from Larry Nichols, who heads the Division of Consumer Protection of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, leads the way. VDACS is a huge agency that regulates all aspects of agriculture, including turfgrass and landscape industries. Larry’s oversight includes the fertilizers and pesticides we use. His article lets us know about the new threshold for reporting fertilizer usage. Reporting is quick, does not require disclosure of any proprietary information, and really helps Virginia meet federal guidelines.

Benefits of aggressively working with government officials are huge. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked with VDACS on many issues, including delaying renewing Certified Pesticide Applicator licenses by 60 days. That delay gave persons extra time to find a recertification class since many programs were cancelled.

Please read what Larry Nichols has to say about fertilizer reporting. You will see him again in a future Journal when he introduces us to VDACS new on-line systems. This web portal is exciting. For years we have asked VDACS for such a system. Future articles will feature key persons from two other agencies that affect us: The Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Environmental Quality.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

VTC Executive Director

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. – VTC Executive Director