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Author: Gregg Robertson

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Gregg Robertson

Gregg Robertson, Landscape Management's government relations blogger, is a government relations consultant for the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association (PLNA) and president of Conewago Ventures. From 2002 until May 2013 he served as president of PLNA. Reach him at gregg.robertson@conewagoventures.com.

State licensure: Boon or boondoggle?

If you want to get a vigorous debate going among a group of landscape contractors, ask them how they feel about state licensure for our industry. The opinions are deeply held and wide-ranging. On the positive side, many see state licensure as a way of keeping the “trunk slammers” out of the business and providing […]

Defeating the drought

One of the big challenges facing the future of the landscaping industry is water. Or more precisely, the lack of water. The western United States is facing drought conditions that range from abnormally dry to exceptional drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. (See map.) For example, drought conditions are so bad […]

The invasion of the plant regulators

The issue of government regulation of invasive plants has been relatively quiet for the past several years. But recent developments are placing invasive species regulations back on the forefront of our industry. Thus, the issue is resurging. Connecticut: To regulate species or cultivars? A decade ago, Connecticut became one of the first states to regulate […]

Why immigration reform is inevitable

The “small window that’s closing fast” for immigration reform to happen before the end of the year slammed shut in November, at least for the time being. It was clear that the window had been “nailed shut,” as American Nursery & Landscape Association’s Craig Regelbrugge put it, when finger-pointing began in mid-November over why immigration […]

Immigration reform: Small window is closing fast

A small window that’s closing fast is how Craig Regelbrugge, the American Nursery & Landscape Association’s (ANLA) vice president of government relations and research, describes the prospects for getting anything done on immigration reform in this session of Congress. Since last June, S. 744 has been cooling its heels in the Republican-controlled House. This comprehensive […]

Native plants: Are mandates the answer?

A small but growing number of local governments are now mandating that landscapes in their jurisdiction use only “native” plants. (See this recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.) Further, environmental groups such as the Audubon Society now are promoting the implementation of model native plant ordinances by local governments. What’s behind this movement? Are these […]

MS4: Get your share of the green infrastructure market

Many landscape contractors don’t recognize the acronym “MS4,” but they should. It’s a federal program that could have a very positive impact on our industry. It stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. For years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has attempted to regulate stormwater discharges under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System program (NPDES), […]

Green Industry labor crisis: Let’s get busy

You can’t be with a group of landscape contractors long before the conversation turns to the topic of the difficulty finding and retaining good employees. I hear stories of ads run in newspapers or online with no responses. Or of potential employees interviewed and offered a job, who don’t show for the first day of […]

Immigration passes Senate: What’s next?

Last week the U.S. Senate passed S. 744, Congress’ first serious attempt at comprehensive immigration reform since 2007. The bill, hammered out by a bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of Eight,” led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), passed with a majority of 68 to 32 that included […]

EPA: Lawn fertilization is good for water quality

Last winter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program pulled together a “panel of experts” to look at lawns, lawn care and the impact lawns have on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The expert panel’s conclusion, based upon a review of all the science and research done on the topic, was that a […]

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