LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
W
hen it comes right down to it, we are all horticulturists of one sort or another; we love to work with plants and doing what we love provides for us and our families. We are naturally repelled by politics and avoid it at any cost. Unfortunately, as the ancient saying goes, just because you don’t take an interest in politics doesn’t mean that politics won’t take an interest in you. And politicians are interested in what we do, in a deeply negative sense, many having no appreciation for the value of turfgrass of any sort or application. I hear the false platitudes about “grass monocultures” and “chemically addicted lawns” being repeated as gospel in legislative hearings in one state after another, too often without someone knowledgeable on our side to counter the nonsense. That is beginning to change, and we need your help to keep that momentum going. Currently, I am tracking over sixty bills in legislatures around New England, mostly in Massachusetts, the battleground to come, and Maine, the current battleground. Overwhelmingly, these bills deal with pesticides. Most of these bills start with a set of erroneous premises, that pesticides are uniformly toxic, that they are not regulated, and that any benefit from their use can be easily achieved through switching to an organic substitute.
10 • New England BLADE • June 2021
The latest bill debated in the Maine legislature would require pesticide applicators to complete application records, including products used and their amounts, along with the name, address, telephone number and email address of the applicator to the state Board of Pesticide Control and require that the BPC post the information electronically. Here’s the kicker: the bill would require you to submit the information the day before the application is to take place. And the rationale for this is to enhance the adoption of IPM practices. There are real world consequences to ill-conceived bills such as this. The complete ban on lawn pesticides in South Portland, Maine has been in effect for a couple of years now. Professional turfgrass managers pointed out what the consequences would be and now we see the tangible results on home lawns and office parks. The Sable Oaks golf course saw the writing on the wall and decided to close altogether. This is what we are trying to stave off. Yes, we will adopt organic practices that actually work, but in many cases, there is no effective substitute. Your participation in this debate is crucial. If you are hesitant to join in, don’t be. Ours in a unique industry full of people who freely collaborate with one another, who support one another. This is not the case in many other industries. We are also natural politicians because we find ourselves explaining our methods and practices to those who employ us, persuading them to our side. In the several public hearings in Maine, turfgrass professionals have provided crucial and accurate information that has held off the truly awful proposals thus far. In Rhode Island, a broad coalition came together to oppose a bill that would have banned the neonicotinoid insecticides, an effort that appears to have borne fruit. In New Mexico, another bill that would have banned lawn and landscape use of the neonicotinoids was a sure bet to pass, having been sponsored by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Professional applicators from agriculture, pest control and lawn care all came together with a unified voice to oppose the legislation, but it wasn’t until the bill was debated in the Senate that its fate became clear. A single Senator, a farmer who is a certified pesticide applicator himself, confronted the sponsor with simple, direct questions – questions that the sponsor had no answers to – and that made all the difference. The bill died in a floor vote. I followed up with the sponsor to engage in conversation knowing that she would doubtless reintroduce the bill. Her terse response came seconds after I sent my email, “Because of you, the bill is dead!” An unprofessional reply from a politician but truthful just the same. It is time for us to acknowledge that we cannot hope to carry the day playing defense any longer. One of the most vocal opponents of our industry on the Maine Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee served on the Public Policy Committee for the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association. Is there any reason why a Representative or Senator cannot be a member of one of our organizations? Is there any reason that person can’t be you? It’s time to start thinking this way. •
Bob Mann is Director of State and Local Government Relations for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Reach him via email Bob@landscapeprofessionals.org or phone 508.648.8582.
