Project: Green Industry

Politicians understand dollars

It’s time to end the madness of political leaders who execute sweeping and rigid water restrictions including outright bans on landscape irrigation.

This industry understands the severity of depleted water sources.

This industry understands the science of how the right plant in the right place help resolve drought.

And above all, this industry understands its significant economic impact to cities, counties and states. It’s all about the money.

Letter-writing campaigns and phone calls to politicians are helpful. But I urge you to schedule a face-to-face with mayors, councils, and state and national representatives. Legislators need to understand the seriousness of their regulatory actions in economic terms.

You can’t simply say, “Save our businesses, please!” Instead, tell them how many millions of dollars the green industry pumps into the local and state coffers and urge them to continue that economic benefit.

Has your state’s green industry association or extension service prepared an economic impact report lately? If so, get a copy. Highlight it. Wave it in front of every politician you can find.

After you’ve appealed to their economic side, back up your points with university research. Tell them about landscaping practices that conserve water and reduce fertilizer runoff. Explain the heat island effect.

Yeah, it’s spring and you’re busy. Let your staff run things for a day or two and head to town, to the capital city or D.C. You can’t afford not to go.

-- Kelli

Limited water allowed in Georgia. Now what?

The Georgia green industry gave a collective whoop of joy when Georgia Governor Perdue announced on Wednesday (Feb. 6) that he was lifting the very strict watering ban. Hand watering for 25 minutes between midnight and 10 a.m., three days a week will be allowed as soon as the paperwork is officially signed, likely by Monday morning, Feb. 11, said Sherry Loudermilk, executive director of Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA).

This gives homeowners the chance to keep their plants alive, and by extension, the local green industry as well.

This temporary fix is expected to be complemented by a longer term one requiring an Outdoor Water Use Registration, which is due to be put in place by April 1. Until the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) hammers out all the details, which is expected to take place by the end of the weekend, the details of the new rules for watering may change, Loudermilk said.

A lot of challenges remain
Think of Perdue lightening the watering ban as life support for the Georgia green industry. It offers a chance to survive 2008, but it’s not a guarantee.

Learn more about the issues facing Georgia's green industry on our retail blog, Open Register.

Georgia green interests organize to fight water bans

Strict water bans resulting from a worsening drought prompted Georgia’s green industry to mount a counterattack. In just 3 days, the Ga. Urban Ag. Council organized to launch a lobbying and public relations campaign, taking aim at outdoor watering bans.

The group’s leaders say other industries and residential users should be forced to conserve rather than completely eliminate landscape watering. The council is a coalition of trade organizations including nursery wholesalers, garden centers, florists, golf courses and even big companies like John Deere.

Although each organization has lobbied individually, by combining forces the council represents 7,000 firms, 80,000 employees and an $8 billion industry.

-- Kevin