Email spoofing involves sending messages with a forged email address. When you receive an email that says it is from your friend John Doe, you can avoid opening a dangerous message by looking to see if the sender's email address is not his own. But when the message shows a sender email that matches his, you might feel comfortable opening the message and clicking on a link inside. That’s the danger of spoofing.

As you may know, it was announced earlier this week that the H-2B Cap has been reached for first-half of FY2022 (winter-season). Our first focus of advocacy efforts is to ask Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to help us get the release of additional discretionary H-2B visas.

While we believe that DHS is prepared to release those visas, we anticipate that DOL will be slow in responding. Therefore, your outreach to your Senators, asking them to help us influence DOL to expedite the release of the visas, is very important.

Last week, ALCC launched a new hands-on training program for landscape industry technicians. The pilot offering was held at Pickens Technical College in Aurora over two days. ALCC hopes to continue to offer the program with the support of member organizations.

Alison Peck, founder of Matrix Gardens in Boulder, passed away unexpectedly on April 15, 2021 after a stroke. She was 63. The Colorado landscape industry will remember her as a champion for landscapes that embraced sustainability, water conservation, wildlife habitat and the use of native plants.

According to a recent marketing report, 2022 looks promising for sales and services related to gardening. Consumers reported that they are spending more money and more time on gardening and on improving their outdoor spaces. The 2022 Garden Trends Report says that spending surged in 2021 over the previous year, and the National Retail Federation expects a 10.5% growth in spending next year.

Lawn & Landscape has published its annual State of the Industry report for the US landscape industry. The findings should come as no surprise to company owners: labor is in short supply, and there is more work available than most companies can take on. But despite the ongoing challenges and a slight decrease in revenue, more than three-quarters of respondents said that their companies saw a profit in 2020.

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) has recognized Denver Water with its 2021 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award. Four agencies received honors this year.

The award was launched in 2014 to “recognize member utilities that have made a commitment to sustainable management.” It was a repeat performance for Denver Water, which received the award in 2018 as well. The honor is especially impressive in light of the fact that an agency cannot receive the award in consecutive years and is eligible every three years.

Resources regarding paid sick leave requirements in Colorado 

Read the signed bill text of SB20-205

Read the CDLE rules regarding HFWA (pdf)

Read CDLE's Interpretive Notice & Formal Opinion (“INFO”) # 6A, Paid Leave under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (pdf)

Read CDLE's Interpretive Notice & Formal Opinion #6B Paid Leave under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act ((pdf)

Read CDLE's Interpretive Notice & Formal Opinion #6C, How Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (“HFWA”) Paid Leave Differs in 2020 & 2021, and How It Differs from Federal Law, Prior Colorado Law, and Paid Family/Medical Leave (pdf)

The renovation of the UCCS Sustainability Demonstration House water-wise garden was completed late this summer. Staff are planning an official opening, but those who have worked on the project are celebrating the success of a project that faced challenges related to the pandemic, supply chain issues and labor shortages in addition to the expected challenges that can occur with such an ambitious collaboration.

Earlier this month, President Biden announced a plan for OSHA to develop proposed rules requiring some employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees. The emergency temporary standards, which have not yet been released, would affect employers with 100 employees or more. Many questions remain about the rules, compliance, and enforcement, but employers should be aware of the forthcoming rules and prepare as best they can.