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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, February 26, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Through GreenCO, ALCC advocates for members and the industry at the state legislature.
The following policy issues will be closely monitored by GreenCO lobbyists on behalf of ALCC during the 2024 session. There will be additional issues that will come up, and these will be identified by ALCC representatives in the GreenCO Legislative Committee meetings. (Follow them in real time at https://coloradocapitolwatch.com/bill-tracker-votes/0/1550/2021/0/)
The landscape industry in Colorado is facing a pivotal moment as the 2024 legislative session gets underway, with numerous bills introduced, including several that directly affect the industry. Among the key highlights to date are Senate Bill 24-005 focusing on turf replacement, House Bill 24-1178 addressing pesticide regulation, and Senate Bill 24-106 concerning construction defects. Additionally, the sheer volume of bills introduced—nearly 500—underscores the breadth and complexity of issues facing the landscape industry and the broader community. As the session unfolds, stakeholders must navigate this complex and evolving regulatory landscape, remaining vigilant, engaged, and proactive in advocating for their interests. By working collaboratively with policymakers, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders, the ALCC/GreenCO are working to shape policies that promote sustainability, innovation, and resilience in Colorado's built and natural environments.
The Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) is poised to take final action on the Small Engine Rules in February, 2024. These rules hold particular significance for the landscaping industry, as they pertain to the use of equipment and machinery integral to landscaping operations. As such, landscapers must closely monitor the development of these rules and understand their potential implications on equipment usage and operational practices.
Legislative Update: HB24-1178, introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives, presents a significant shift towards local control in pesticide regulation within the landscaping industry. The bill prioritizes empowering local communities to enact stricter oversight and accountability measures concerning pesticide usage, particularly in outdoor spaces. By granting municipalities and counties greater authority, HB24-1178 is not supported by ALCC/GreenCO.
On the other hand, SB24-005, titled the "Water Conservation and Landscaping Practices Act," represents a significant effort to promote sustainable water usage in outdoor spaces across Colorado. Introduced concurrently in the Colorado Senate, SB24-005 proposes measures to incentivize water-efficient landscaping techniques and establish guidelines for the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulching practices, and smart irrigation systems.
Through rebates, tax incentives, and other incentives, the bill aims to encourage property owners and landscaping professionals to adopt environmentally conscious landscaping practices, contributing to water conservation efforts in the state.
HB24-1008 Wage Claims Construction Industry Contractors Bill Description: Concerning measures to expand general contractor accountability for wage claims involving contractors in the construction industry. GreenCO- Opposes
HB24-1014-Decptive Trade Practices Bill Description: Concerning the elimination of a judicially created requirement that a significant number of consumers be harmed before remedies may be available under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act" GreenCO-Opposes
HB24-1041- Streamline Filing Sales & Use Tax Returns Bill Description: Concerning the streamlining of processes for filing sales and use tax returns.GreenCO- Monitor
HB24-1083 Construction Professional Insurance Coverage Transparency Bill Description: Concerning insurance coverage for construction professionals. GreenCO Opposed as Introduced
HB24-1178 Local Government Authority to Regulate Pesticides Bill Description: Concerning local government authority to regulate pesticides. GreenCO Opposes
SB24-005 Prohibit Landscaping Practices for Water Conservation Bill Description: Concerning the conservation of water in the state through the prohibition of certain landscaping practices. GreenCO Amending
SB24-023 Hold Harmless for Error in GIS Database Data Bill Description: Concerning the requirement that local taxing jurisdictions hold harmless vendors that rely on erroneous data in certain electronic systems related to sales and use tax that are managed by the department of revenue. GreenCO Monitoring
SB24-025 pdate Local Government Sales & UseTax Collection Bill Description: Concerning local government sales and use taxes administered by the department of revenue, and, in connection therewith, revising, modernizing, and harmonizing various state statues relating to the state-administration of local sales and use tax into one uniform statute. GreenCO Monitoring
SB24-081 Perfluoroalkyl & Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals Bill Description: Concerning measures to increase protections from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals. GreenCO Is Reviewing Bill
SB24-100 Commercial Vehicle Highway Safety Measures Bill Description: Concerning commercial vehicle safety measures on Colorado highways. GreenCO is reviewing.
SB24-106 Right to Remedy Construction Defects Bill Description: Concerning legal actions based on claimed defects in construction projects. GreenCO is reviewing-Suggesting Support Position.
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, February 26, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Is your company in the process of converting a crew to electric equipment? Would you be interested in sharing your story with other ALCC members? ALCC is planning to host an educational session on the considerations of conversion to electric equipment and is looking for panelists who have either converted all or part of an existing crew to hand-held electric equipment or is in the process of doing so.
Please contact Melissa Emdin at 720 307-5092 or email [email protected] if you are interested in participating in an educational session.
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Sunday, February 25, 2024 12:00 AM |
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ALCC in the news -
New rules for lawn and garden equipment get approval from Colorado Air Quality Control Commission Friday. Read More
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Sunday, February 25, 2024 12:00 AM |
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LatiKnows, an ALCC committee created to elevate and empower Latinos in the landscaping industry through education, training and networking, held a happy hour at Raices Brewing Company in Denver this fall, providing a much-needed opportunity for members to relax and talk with peers. Co-chaired by Luis Estrada and Mari Medrano, the committee is planning more events like this one and perhaps some lunch-and-learns in the coming year.
The LatiKnows committee’s goals include providing relevant and applicable bilingual educational and training opportunities for Latinos in the landscape industry, monitor and advocate for issues that impact them, showcase the benefits of a landscaping career and promote community. LatiKnows organizers are making efforts to partner with other organizations, committees, individuals and government agencies to further its goals.
This year, 12 ProGreen EXPO sessions will be held in Spanish. “We need the community to attend so we can grow the program,” Estrada says.
To learn more, contact Luis Estrada, [email protected]
Read more in this issue of Colorado Green Now:
ALCC to host electrical equipment conversion educational session
GreenCO 2024 Legislative Priorities
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Wednesday, February 21, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Train your irrigation techs!
Join us for our 32-hour Irrigation Boot Camp over two weeks from Thursday, March 14 until Saturday, March 23, 2024. Space is limited. Open to ALCC members.
Dates/Times:
Thursday, March 14, 2024 - 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Friday, March 15, 2024 - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday, March 16, 2024 - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Friday, March 22, 2024 - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday, March 23, 2024 - 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Instructor: Kyler Neumann
Location: DBC Irrigation Supply
Address:1890 W. Hamilton Pl., Sheridan, CO 80110
Fee: $525 per student. Register now. Deadline to register is Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Questions: Contact Melissa Emdin at 720-307-5092.
Sponsored by: DBC Irrigation Supply
All participants will receive Training Manual for Irrigation Technicians ($70 value).
Due to the limited number of participants, this program is open only to ALCC members.
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, February 12, 2024 12:00 AM |
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GA holds 28th Sunshine Legacy Women in Horticulture Luncheon
The Colorado Gardening Association held its 28th annual Sunshine Legacy Women in Horticulture luncheon at Denver Botanic Gardens in October. This year’s luncheon was dedicated to the memory of Michelle Krumdick, Mandy Gerace and Cheryl Puckett, who made a big impact on horticulture in Colorado.
Terri McEnaney, CEO and president of Bailey Nurseries—and the fifth generation of her family to take the helm of the nursery—gave a talk about Bailey Nurseries’ origins, what it was like to grow up in the company and the joys and challenges of running a family business.
Attendees received plants from Britton Nursery, gloves from BFG Supply and a gift bag of seeds from Botanical Interests.
Sponsors for this event included AgRisk Advisors, Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Altman Plants, Aquatic and Wetland Nursery, Arbor Valley Nursery, Ball Seed Company, BOK Financial, Botanical Interests, Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center, Fort Collins Nursery, Gulley Greenhouse, Harrell’s, Heidrich’s CO Tree Farm Nursery, LMI Landscapes, Park Creek Nursery, Plantivity, Syngenta Flowers, Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises, The Tree Farm and Welby Gardens/Hardy Boy Plants
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, February 12, 2024 12:00 AM |
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ELITE Award Stanley Brown winner Frank Kinder
Though he graduated from the University of Colorado with an undergraduate Business degree, Frank Kinder’s interest in the outdoors and urban planning led him to pursue a master’s in Geography with a focus on sustainable development. He was a sustainability consultant at Fort Carson and had a commercial water conservation role with Colorado Springs Utilities before he moved to Northern Water to implement a new Water Efficiency Department five years ago.
Under Kinder’s guidance, Northern Water has initiated a range of water conservation programs for northeast Colorado, expanded its campus to feature low-water landscapes and created a forthcoming Native Grass Guide in collaboration with multiple parties. Kinder has been one of ALCC’s greatest advocates for water conservation. Northern Water is the only water district that supports SLM through subsidy agreements, covering a portion of the registration fee for all SLM attendees.
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, February 12, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Lifescape Colorado COO LeAnn Ostheimer named NALP Woman Leader of the Year
The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) presented Lifescape COO LeAnn Ostheimer with the Woman Leader of the Year Award, given to female members who demonstrate inspirational spirit, initiative and passion for the landscape industry, at its annual ELEVATE Conference in Dallas this fall.
“Winning NALP’s Woman Leader of the Year was a huge surprise and honor for me,” Ostheimer says. “I hope my story can serve as inspiration for young women considering a career path in the green industry and for companies looking to hire or promote.”
Ostheimer grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Colorado and earned her degree from Colorado State University, then began her career as a landscape designer at Lifescape 17 years ago. She was honored for her dedication to the industry and leading her company as it grew revenue tenfold and crafted award-winning landscape designs.
“Her design talent, determination and solutions-oriented approach are the DNA of Lifescape,” says Michael Hupf, owner and CEO of Lifescape, one of the largest locally owned residential landscape firms in Colorado. “Plus, she is a great mom, community member and inspiration to our team.”
Bringing in more women at all levels will help the industry prosper, Ostheimer says. “I am sure the next generation of women leaders will be even more innovative and inspiring,” she adds. “It is a privilege to share my success with my team and create more opportunities for all.”
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, January 22, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Congratulations to our 2024 Board Members
Results or the 2024 Board of Directors are in. Please join ALCC in congratulating this year's Board of Directors. Together, ALCC and its board members will help guide, advise and oversee our organization through 2024. We look forward to a fantastic year!
PRESIDENT Brian Levins Designscapes Colorado, Golden
VICE PRESIDENT Anne Campbell Colorado Stoneworks Landscaping, Colorado Springs
SECRETARY/TREASURER Steve Steele Steele Dynamic Services, Denver
PAST PRESIDENT Zak George Zak George Landscaping, Fort Collins
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Read more...
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, January 22, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Location Pickens Technical College in Aurora, CO 80011
Horticulture Long-Term Substitute Teacher Jan 26 - May 31
Aurora Public Schools Compensation and Benefits
Summary: Horticulture Long-Term Substitute Teacher is responsible for instructing program courses, supervision of internships, and preparing students to enter the horticulture industry. The focus of this program is to train students in the areas of landscape and irrigation design and installation, greenhouse operation, and turf-grass management. Students will train to earn industry certifications in each of these areas.
Classes taught during this time will be:
● Plant Health Care
● Urban Agriculture
● Greenhouse Management
● Green Machines
Responsibilities:
● Provide theoretical instruction and laboratory experiences that reflect an understanding of the program's philosophy, objectives, and curriculum.
● Teach course syllabi and lesson plans in accordance with state and other stakeholder requirements. This includes developing descriptions and objectives for assigned courses and preparing and evaluating student assessment tools.
● Foster the program's responsiveness to community and/or employer needs.
● Participate in meetings, in-services, workshops, and other professional meetings and act as a resource person to members of the community and other faculty members.
● Supervise community internship and job shadowing opportunities for students. Perform other duties as assigned by the program administrator. Job
Qualifications:
● Must have some horticulture experience and knowledge of greenhouses
● A minimum of three years of teaching or related industry experience is preferred.
● Experience with the instruction and safe use of landscape and turf-grass maintenance equipment is preferred.
The successful candidate must possess or be eligible to obtain a Colorado Department of Education (CDE) substitute teaching license.
Job Type: Temporary Pay: $32.00 - $35.00 per hour
Schedule: No weekends
Work Location: In person
Please apply online through indeed
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Written by Colorado State University
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Monday, January 22, 2024 12:00 AM |
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The Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Professional Mixer has been a Horticulture and Landscape Architecture signature annual event where employers meet students, staff and faculty while networking with Colorado State talent. At this event we will provide each employer with a table so only bring handouts, smaller items and a healthy stack of business cards to share! Tables, company name table tents, and fillable name tags will be provided.
We will have hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments.
Please register and join us on February 21st between 5pm-7:30pm (employer check-in will start at 4:30pm) at the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building.
As a new addition to the event this year is a Faculty - Industry Happy Hour from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Colorado cider, wine, charcuterie will be provided, (rsvp required during registration payment processing). The Happy Hour event will be held in the Alpine Garden Community Hub located on the second floor of Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building.
Please follow the steps below to register and pay for the event. Event descriptions, agendas, instructions and additional information about the event is contained in each of the registration and pay links.
STEP 1 – Register through Handshake Hyperlink: Employers Registration Here
STEP 2 – Pay Online https://www.eventbrite.com/e/774546297827?aff=oddtdtcreator
STEP 3 – Send your Updated Company Logo to Karen Allison at [email protected]
STEP 4 – See you at the event! Additional information on parking and day of operations will be provided in the weeks prior to the event.
If you have questions in preparation for this event, please contact Scott Curry at [email protected] and/or Karen Allison at [email protected]
We Look forward to seeing you there!
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, January 22, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Bob Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award: Judd Bryarly, Timberline Landscaping
Though he attended both Mesa State College and the University of Colorado, Timberline Landscaping CEO Judd Bryarly says his real education came from hands-on work, making mistakes, reading and learning about the industry, and listening to leaders around him. Bryarly’s first job was with Timberline, when the company had five employees in the 1990s. Now, as CEO, he leads a team of more than 250 people. He credits Timberline owner Tim Emick, his mentor and friend, for inspiring him to take risks and trust in employees. Bryarly was the first Timberline employee to earn the CLT designation in 1996 and participated in developing the first Landscape Training Manuals in partnership with ALCC and NALP in the late 1990s. He has served on the Certification Committee, which he chaired in 2011.
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Written by Colorado Green Now
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Monday, January 08, 2024 12:00 AM |
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Northern Water, a public agency that provides water for food production and municipal, domestic and industrial uses in Northeastern Colorado, received a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its work promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2022.
This is the fourth year Northern Water has won the award from WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA. In its efforts to help commercial customers save water, Northern Water performed 48 landscape consultations, inspecting landscape conditions and irrigation components and recommending WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers and sprinkler components. Northern Water also helped save more than 7 million gallons of water by funding 11 projects through its Collaborative Water-Efficient Landscape Grant Program, which requires WaterSense-labeled equipment to be installed.
“The WaterSense program and products provide an ideal foundation to promote, facilitate and celebrate water efficiency,” says Frank Kinder, Northern Water’s Water Efficiency Department manager. “The public-private partnership delivers sustained water savings and high performance, allowing comprehensive conservation of this vitally important resource on which we all rely. We appreciate the value WaterSense provides to all stakeholders.”
Since 2006, consumers and businesses using certified water-efficient plumbing products have saved 7.5 trillion gallons of water; 880 billion kilowatt hours of energy used to pump, treat and heat water; and $171 billion in water and energy bills. These efforts have also helped prevent 337 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to planting 5.6 billion trees.
“With extreme weather affecting water supplies and quality, saving this precious resource is more important than ever,” said Veronica Blette, chief of the EPA’s WaterSense Branch. “The 2023 award winners helped Americans look to WaterSense and save not just water, but the energy required to heat and treat it, reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use.”
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