TNLA Working For You March 13, 2020

Be First in the Know with News and Updates from TNLA! MARCH 13, 2020

TNLA

Working For You

Catch up on updates from the D.C. Fly-In where TNLA talked Irrigation, H2-B, H2-A, & More!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TNLA Working For You Cover Feature: TNLA Takes On D.C. Member News You Need to Know -Corona Virus: Next Steps -Young Leader & Summit Nominations -2020 TX Green Industry Compensation Study & Benefits Survey -TNLA Green Magazine -Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday -New Member Category: Irrigation -Parks & Patio Events -Women in Horticulture: Whats' Next?

-Nursery/Landscape EXPO 2020 -13 Reasons Why You Should Attend the West Texas Workshop

Legislative & Regulatory -TNLA In Washington D.C. With IA -Texas Department of Agriculture Sunset -H-2B Alert - One Last Push for FY 2020 -TNLA 2020 PAC Auction -TNLA Meets with Texas Education Agency Education - Certification Renewal -Texas Education Agency (TEA) Meeting with TNLA

MEETINGS & EVENTS March 17, 2020 Region V Meeting Tierra Verde Golf Course

April 14, 2020 Region II Meeting Rancho Encino Tree Farm

March 25, 2020 Region IV Meeting Dallas Arboretum

April 21, 2020 Region V Meeting Grand Adventure

March 28, 2020 Region I Community Day Mission San Juan Farm/ San Antionio Food Bank

May 12, 2020 Region II Meeting Newton Nursery

MARCH 26-27, 2020 WEST TEXAS WORKSHOP ALPINE, TX May 12, 2020 Region IV Social Bruce Miller Nursery May 19, 2020 Region V Meeting Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Questions about TNLA Regions? Email sara@tnlaonline.org

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A WORD FROM THE STATE Members News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office

CORONA VIRUS: NEXT STEPS There has recently been a lot of talk about the coronavirus (COVID-19). TNLA recognizes that this situation may impact Green Industry professionals, and we are monitoring the situation closely. Please take advantage of these resources for keeping you and your employees safe during this situation.

Companies should monitor and comply with all Federal, State, and Local advisories and precautionary measures.

The CDC advises that companies monitor employee health and actively encourage sick employees to stay home and notify their supervisors if they have had close contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a recordable illness. OSHA record-keeping requirements 29 CFR Part 1904 mandate that covered employers record certain work-related injuries and illnesses on their OSHA 300 log. Note that while 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(2)(viii) exempts recording of the common cold and flu, COVID-19 is a recordable illness when a worker is infected on the job.

Be extra vigilant about disinfecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) equipment. Many industry jobs require the use of PPE. Ensure that the equipment is properly disinfected RESOURCES: CDC Steps to Prevent Illness Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Lawn Care and Landscape Companies CDC COVID-19 resources in English, Spanish and Chinese OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

A WORD FROM THE STATE Members News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office

YOUNG LEADER & SUMMIT NOMINATIONS Each year, TNLA recognizes outstanding contributions and achievements in the Green Industry with Young Leader Awards and Summit Awards. Nominations for these awards are currently being accepted!

Please help TNLA honor individuals and Member companies doing great work in out industry by submitting nominations by May 15!

Go to www.tnlaonline.org today to submit your nomination!

2020 TEXAS GREEN INDUSTRY COMPENSATION STUDY & BENEFITS SURVEY The Texas Nursery & Landscape Association is excited to have completed the 2020 Texas Green Industry Compensation & Benefits Survey and is ready for it to be released. With over 100 companies contributing, the survey represents a window into the employee benefits and compensation of your colleagues in the green industry.

This valuable data is an opportunity to know how your competitors monetarily compensate employees, in addition to analysis on workplace culture, education, certification, and ancillary benefits. The study features hard data on compensation, as well as comments from the study participants in order to contextualize the results.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insight into Texas-specific green industry employment information. The complete survey results are available to TNLA members at $100 and non-members at $250.

A WORD FROM THE STATE Members News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office

TNLA GREEN MAGAZINE TNLA's Green Magazine is excited to shine a light on the women in horticulture in its next May/June issue. Support TNLA as we showcase the diversity of the Green Industry in Texas by partnering with us as an Advertiser in this upcoming issue!

LAWN & GARDEN TAX HOLIDAY The Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday is fast approaching and TNLA wants your business to be prepared. Head down to www.tnlaonline.org today to check out the media kit and receive more information regarding the holiday this memorial day weekend!

NEW MEMBER CATEGORY: IRRIGATION As the Green Industry continues to grow, so does the membership at TNLA. Irrigation professionals play an integral role within the Green Industry, so TNLA Members recently conducted a statewide vote passing a bylaw change to include irrigation as a TNLA member category. Irrigation members, by definition, are engaged in irrigation system design, consulting, installation, maintenance, and repairs or services; including the connection of such a system to a private or public, non-potable or potable water supply, or any water supply.

PARKS & PATIO Parks & Patio Team Meeting 3/5/20 The P&P Team met in the state office in Austin, TX on Thursday March 5th 2020 to discuss the process and review any additions or potential challenges to the 2020 design.The team reviewed the materials list needed to complete the design. We also identified key potential contributors of the materials for the design.

If you are exhibiting and can donate, please contact trevor@tnlaonline.org

A WORD FROM THE STATE Events

Hear it straight from the State Office

WOMEN IN HORTICULTURE: WHAT'S NEXT? With Spring happenings, we are ready for the ladies to get together! Women in Horticulture Get Together is an opportunity for the women who make up the Green Industry to network and decide what it really means to be a woman in this industry. We encourage all ladies in any place in your career to take part and join the Women in Horticulture on calls, volunteer opportunities, and at the Nursery/Landscape EXPO this August in San Antonio, Texas!

The next Women in Horticulture call will be April 22, 2020 Please email kyla@tnlaonline.org to get involved!

NURSERY/LANDSCAPE EXPO 2020 Get ahead of the busy season by planning your EXPO Getaway Today! You will not want to miss out on special hotel discounts and the chance to SAVE by Registering NOW!

Register Here | Book Your Hotel Here

San Antonio is home to many different amazing and FUN attractions for adults and families alike! As a TNLA member when you attend EXPO, you have special access to save on tickets to places such as SEA WORLD! Sea World is offering a discount for EXPO participants for tickets as low as $46! Immerse yourself in a sea of surprises. Enjoy one-of-a-kind shows, Texas-sized thrill rides and unforgettable animal encounters. Take advantage of these savings by clicking here.

www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org

A WORD FROM THE STATE Events

Hear it straight from the State Office

13 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THIS YEARS' WEST TEXAS WORKSHOP 1. Come get a breath of fresh West Texas air!

2. Earn your TNLA, ISA and LA CES CEU's!

3. Take part in a tour of the West Texas Native Seeds Project; Texas Native Seeds Program 4. Embrace your surroundings while you get your education on in a beautifully restored 1928 hotel 5. Gain knowledge on creating beautiful, water smart landscapes 6. Enjoy beautiful weather while networking with Statewide professionals 7. Learn about a truly unique Texas ecosystem from some of the industries top minds, West Texas style 8. Expand your ideas of what traditional landscapes look like 9. Enjoy hands on, West Texas relevant experience, with a guided tour of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute 10. Reignite your passion for plants!

11. Get educated about the diversity of West Texas trees and how they can be used throughout the state.

12. Come get your drink on at our reception and enjoy all West Texas has to offer.

13. Slow down, smell the yucca and relax at the West Texas Workshop!

A WORD FROM THE STATE Legislative & Regulatory Hear it straight from the State Office

TNLA IN WASHINGTON D.C. WITH IA Staff and members of TNLA were in D.C. last week with the national Irrigation Association for the 2020 Water Resources Congressional Summit. Topics for our members were advocating for included H-2A reform, H-2B cap relief, funding for the WaterSense program, and tax parity for water conservation investments. Our delegation met on H-2B with the Director of External Relations at the Department of Labor and were able to visit over 16 members of the Texas congressional delegation.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUNSET Late last year TNLA convened a group of stakeholders to develop comments on the Sunset Review of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). TNLA formalized our association's comments, sent them to the Sunset Commission staff, and Amy Graham & Ryan Skrobarczyk met directly with Sunset staff to discuss our comments further. The report containing the recommended changes for TDA is scheduled to be released at the end of April and the initial hearing with legislators will take place on July 8th-July 9th.

A WORD FROM THE STATE Legislative & Regulatory Hear it straight from the State Office

H-2B ALERT - ONE LAST PUSH FOR FY 2020 Please visit the TNLA Legislative Action Center and take advantage of the new H2B alert posted there. The Trump administration has announced they intend to release 35,000 supplemental H-2B visas for FY 2020, however they have also proposed to add several difficult conditions attached. The national H-2B Workforce Coalition sent a letter to DHS asking for a change in the proposal to ease the burden on employers. Again, please visit the TNLA Legislative Action Center to help us push the administration to make the supplemental visas more user friendly.

TNLA 2020 PAC AUCTION The TNLA Political Action Committee is preparing for our second annual PAC Auction fundraiser at EXPO in San Antonio. Last year a whole list of exciting items donated

by TNLA members helped raise an additional $16,000 for TNLA PAC. These contributions strengthen our positions and make our political voice louder. Make an investment in the success of our industry today and consider donating an item to the 2020 PAC Auction.

Please contact Ryan Skrobarczyk at 512-367-9922 to find out how to donate an item.

TNLA MEETS WITH TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY TNLA staff along with Region Eight Chair Veronica Seever met with Statewide Coordinators at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in Austin to discuss approving TNLA's Certification and it being placed on TEA's approved IBC list. TNLA has been working with schools across Texas to help and encourage teachers to incorporate TNLA Certification programs into the high school agriculture and horticulture curriculum. If TNLA is able to get on the TEA approved list, schools offering TNLA's certification as part of their horticulture program will then be eligible for state funding for the program, but also students will be able to take the certification course and gain school credit in addition to being eligible for TNLA certification. TNLA has been actively engaged on this issue since the origination of the TEA approved IBC list and will send out a member alert when the time for public comment is needed.

A WORD FROM THE STATE Education

Hear it straight from the State Office

CERTIFICATION RENEWALS DUE JUNE 2020 Certification renewal time is right around the corner, and we wanted to remind you while there is still time to take advantage of our many CEU opportunities.

Some ways to earn your CEUs by June include: Attending the Product Rodeo Education Corral in the Retail/Landscape Track which includes Business Savvy with McFarlin Stanford Watch TNLA Webinars and turn in a CEU form Take the CEU Quiz in an Issue of TNLA Green Magazine

TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY (TEA) MEETING Team TNLA along with Region Eight Chair Veronica Seever met with Statewide Coordinators at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) today at the TEA building in downtown Austin to discuss approving TNLA Certification being placed on TEA's approved certification list. TNLA has been working with schools across Texas to help and encourage teachers to incorporate TNLA Certification programs into the high school agriculture and horticulture curriculum.

If TNLA is able to get on the TEA approved list, schools offering TNLA's certification as part of their horticulture program will then be eligible for state funding for the program, but also students will be able to take the certification course and gain school credit in addition to being eligible for TNLA certification.

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Back Your PAC! DONATE ITEMS FOR THE PAC AUCTION The Second Annual TNLA PAC Auction will be held at the 2020 EXPO! We are accepting donations of all kinds to help raise funds for TNLA PAC. Donations may vary from trips & tickets to items such as: guns, artwork, industry equipment, and more!

Contact ryan@tnlaonline.org for questions & inquiries.

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DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS EDITION OF THE BEST OF TEXAS LANDSCAPE GUIDE

ORDER ONLINE TODAY! Visit www.tnlaonline.org Email sara@tnlaonline.org Phone (512) 579-3853

Turn to the Best of Texas Landscape Guide for a wide range of advice on selecting, planting and maintaining plants that perform best in Texas.

STAY ENGAGED BY UTILIZING TNLA'S ADVOCACY TOOLS LEADER LIST BRINGING YOU THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

A TNLA member-exclusive benefit, this newsletter is sent out with political notices, Legislative alerts, and highlights of TNLA advocacy work. Sign up and during the Texas Legislative session receive a weekly newsletter featuring all of the Green Industry related action.

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TNLA's Legislative and Regulatory Director, Ryan Skrobarczyk gets to the roots in the Texas State Capital with guests including Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, State Representative Drew Springer, and State Representative Mary Gonzales. The Green Report covers all hot topics including Hemp, H-2B, Paid Sick Leave and more!

LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER GET ENGAGED WITH YOUR LEADERS AND STAY UP-TO-DATE ON CURRENT ISSUES

We are all stronger when acting together so be sure to check on the TNLA Legislative Action Center. Here is where you can participate in our grassroots campaigns concerning federal and state issues. With the ease of pushing a button, send electronic communication directly to your elected official on the issues that matter to your business.

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TNLA Green March/April 2020

Crossing State Lines

Whether importing or exporting, become familiar with unwanted pests and diseases to avoid serious damage

by SARAH THURMOND SPRING HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED, along with more customers looking for new plants to spruce

up their yards and gardens. To keep up with the demand, nurseries and growers are shipping stock all over the country. But with that comes potential dangers, warns Dale Scott, director of the Environmental and Biosecurity Program at the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).

“We’re coming upon the really busy season,” he says. “Of course, when you have a busy season for imports and exports, you’re going to be transporting pests and disease.”

That’s right, pests and diseases are lurking in budding flowers and lush greenery, and while some present no harm, others could cause serious damage. Nurseries and growers need to have the proper protocols and paperwork in place before shipping to another state, or they could find themselves in a real bind. A failed road station inspection could lead to a quarantine on materials or stock being sent back to the place of origin. Or it could be destroyed entirely, resulting in a potential loss of thousands of dollars. Even worse, from a regulatory standpoint, an unwanted pest could find its way into a vulnerable area of the country, causing an infestation to break out.

March/April 2020 TNLA Green

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Crossing State Lines Of course, these situations are avoidable by being extra vigilant and following the right steps and procedures to ensure plants are safe for transport across state lines. Through some research and advance planning, and with the guidance of regional, state, and federal agents and organizations, interstate exporting and importing can help grow a green business by expanding its operation into new markets or by diversifying its stock to attract more customers.

beetle has been found in these states, and it’s under quarantine alert. To gain entry into California, nursery plants have to be treated with a pesticide that has been approved for Japanese beetle treatment. Treatment confirmation is a must.

Surviving Inspections While they’re not mandatory for every state, PSCs show that products within a shipment have passed inspection by a TDA agent, who checks everything about the plants, including the soil. Depending on the size of a shipment, an inspection takes about one or two hours. The inspector observes the health of the plant stock and looks for any pests or diseases and anything else that’s on the checklist. Once approved, the certificate lists, among other things, the customer’s name, the facility address, the quantity of the shipment, and the variety of plants. A PSC needs to be obtained before goods are loaded for transport.

Fortunately, a $30 fee covers an inspection, whether it’s one plant or thousands of plants. If shipping to a western state, keep in mind that most require a PSC for anything from Texas. For more information about PSCs, go to the Plant Quality page at texasagriculture.gov or the Frequently Asked Questions page found under Plant Health/ Export at aphis.usda.gov.

Some states have compliance agreements or special permits between states, if certain measures have been met. For example, Greenleaf Nursery in El Campo can skip the PSC process for shipments to New Mexico because it has a compliance agreement in place that requires a list of procedures to take place at the nursery. For example, these include a process that monitors whether Japanese beetles are found on the nursery’s property.

A TDA agent sets out traps during the summer months, the

Importing and Exporting 101 Before getting started, make sure your Nursery Floral License is up to date. This annual license issued by TDA is required for any individual or business wanting to grow or distribute plants.

Whether importing or exporting, it’s important to become familiar with the pests and diseases that are unwanted around the country. The National Plant Board’s website, nationalplantboard. org, is the best source for this information. The site’s Laws and Regulations section offers up-todate summaries for every state, as overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), and the agriculture departments of each state. These summaries contain the quarantines that are in place in a state, the specific rules and regulations required by a state’s department of agriculture, and the certificates of compliance that are necessary for entry into a state, among other information.

Because every state is different and has its own unique concerns, rules and regulations vary widely, making entry compliance one of the biggest challenges for a nursery or grower, says Mathias Marcos, a TDA plant quality program specialist. “There’s pest and disease that we might have to a limited extent in Texas, but other states believe that MOST CHALLENGING STATES FOR EXPORTING it’s widespread, so they’ll have certain HORTICULTURE PRODUCTS requirements that our nurseries must IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER the top states that are most challenging for exporting meet in order to be able to ship into horticulture products are: Arizona, California, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, their state,” he says. and Washington. In addition, the most popular exported plants and plant products from These requirements could include a Texas are: palms, roses, pecan nursery plants, trees, and turf. phytosanitary certificate (PSC), a special Aniwash Bhatkar, Ph.D., the TDA’s coordinator for biosecurity and agriculture resource permit, or a compliance agreement. The management writes via email, “Arizona wants all the nursery stock to be held at specified type of pest, pathogen, or insect and the holding areas on arrival for inspection of pests for five days. These plants may not get required type of plant determine which one is attention during this time. California does not accept compliance agreements for nursery necessary. For instance, one of the most stock and does not agree with all the requirements of the National Plant Board’s Domestic destructive pests is the Japanese beetle.

Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan (JBHP). Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington also do California rejects plants from Texas not agree with all the requirements of JBHP and need notification prior to plant shipments.” and other states because the Japanese

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TNLA Green March/April 2020