The Georgia Green Industry Association

News   New council could make big changes in taxes 7/28/2010 And that means everything -- from eliminating loopholes and restoring a 4 percent sales tax on all groceries to adding new levies on services from haircuts to auto repairs and giving businesses incentives to hire. While political leaders say they want the committee to modernize -- not raise -- taxes, the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness will be the most heavily lobbied group around. Every business and industry in the state will want to either make sure its current exemptions are kept on the books or try to get new tax breaks. The group’s final recommendations will go to the General Assembly, which will vote them up or down when they return for the 2011 legislative session in January. In addition to discussing what taxes people pay and how they pay them, the committee als.... Click here to view entire article.     UGA research team unlocks secret to producing lucky four-leaf clovers 7/12/2010 Researchers led by a University of Georgia plant scientist have figured out the genetic secret of the four-leaf clover. But Wayne Parrott didn't find the gene for the rare four-leaf trait through a lucky stroke or help from leprechauns. It took 18 years of research and modern DNA analytical techniques to find the gene, said Parrott. Parrott, who came to UGA in 1988, worked with UGA graduate student Rebecca Tashiro and other researchers at UGA and Oklahoma's Noble Foundation to find the four-leaf gene. Looking for the lucky four-leaf clover gene has been a sort of sideline from Parrott's more traditional research projects, such as trying to improve switchgrass to be a better raw material for biofuel production. He's also developing soybeans that can resist insect pests and nematod.... Click here to view entire article.     Just about all ?to feel financial reform changes 7/12/2010 Hovaness Kabbenjian dreads when a customer whips out a credit or debit card just to buy a soda at his cafe in Perimeter Mall. So the owner of Hovan Mediterranean Gourmet said he sometimes tells regular customers to just pay him on the next visit so he can avoid the charge for processing a debit card transaction. “I hate to pay somebody 25 cents for a sale of $1.35,” he said. But soon, retailers like Kabbenjian could get relief from what they consider onerous fees. The requirement to charge “reasonable” debit or credit card fees is just one small part of what has been called the most sweeping financial reform in a generation. The proposed law, which lawmakers are hoping to soon send to President Barack Obama for his signature, aims to avoid a repeat of the financial meltdown of.... Click here to view entire article.     Soil moisture monitor draws raves at Field Day 7/9/2010 Alan Mauldin The Moultrie Observer MOULTRIE — A soil moisture monitoring system new to Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition can help conserve water and allow farmers to irrigate before plants become stressed from lack of water. In one instance this year in Mitchell County, a farmer using the system saved an estimated three inches of irrigation. Over an 8,000-acre field, that amounts to 6.5 million fewer gallons of water pumped on the field, said Rad Yager, a Dougherty County cooperative extension agent who also does research at the C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park outside Camilla. For the farmer, that means 1,120 fewer gallons of diesel used to pump that water, which at $3 a gallon means $3,360 in fuel savings, Yager said. Probes measure soil moisture at five different .... Click here to view entire article.     Perdue signs water stewardship bill 6/2/2010 Governor Sonny Perdue's bill signing pen has been busy the past two weeks. Perdue has been signing dozens of bills passed during the 2010 legislative session. He has until June 8 to veto any bills. Anything not signed or vetoed by June 8 becomes law without Perdue's signature. On Tuesday, Perdue signed Senate Bill 370, the Water Stewardship Act of 2010. The bill signing was held at Lake Lanier's Buford Dam Park, and Perdue was joined by State Rep. Lynn Smith, R-Newnan. Smith, chairwoman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, and her Senate counterpart, Russ Tolleson, crafted the bill. Georgia has required the use of low-flow toilets, shower heads, urinals and faucets in new construction since 1992. The 2010 act tightens the flow requirements for everythin.... Click here to view entire article.     Properly fertilized turf grass has environmental benefits 6/2/2010 The Star's recent article and editorial comments regarding the negative effects of phosphate fertilizer should not be taken at face value. Most studies of the contribution of phosphates to algae build-up are inconclusive. One of the most respected, a study by the U.S. Geological Survey on lakes in Wisconsin, simply could not determine one way or the other whether phosphate fertilizer applications to lawns had any effect on adjoining bodies of water. However, there are some things we do know about the results of proper fertilizer use on turf grass. Properly maintained grass purifies water as it leaches through it. One of the best ways to prevent erosion and runoff is with a thick and deeply rooted lawn. Properly maintained lawns remove smoke, dust and other pollutants fr.... Click here to view entire article.     Tri-state water talks bog down 6/1/2010 WASHINGTON - After starting with a rush, negotiations in the water wars between Georgia, Alabama and Florida have apparently slowed to a trickle, leaving the future of metro Atlanta's water supply still in limbo. In accordance with a federal judge's ruling last year, Georgia's two senators recently took formal steps in Congress to try and keep the water flowing from Lake Lanier to metro Atlanta after 2012. But their proposed legislation may not make any difference until negotiators and governors of the three states come to an agreement on allocation rates from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River -- something that's taking much longer than anybody wanted. Negotiators originally said they wanted to have a tri-state pact in place within a few months after their first meeting l.... Click here to view entire article.     Perdue to sign water act at Lanier 6/1/2010 Gov. Sonny Perdue is set to sign the Georgia Water Stewardship Act of 2010 today at Lake Lanier’s Buford Dam. Authored in the wake of a federal court ruling against Atlanta-region withdrawals from the lake, the legislation’s conservation initiatives will affect the en-tire state — including water-rich Rome and Floyd County. Permanent outdoor watering restrictions, low-flow plumbing fixtures, individual water meters in new apartments and water-loss standards for public systems are among the mandates. Also, farmers sitting on an old permit to withdraw water from a well or stream will have three years to either “use it or lose it.” Provisions were drawn from recommendations made by the Governor’s Water Contingency Task Force. Rome City Manager John Bennett, who serv.... Click here to view entire article.     Sen. Isakson questions Kagan on water wars, other issues 5/26/2010 WASHINGTON -- Sen. Johnny Isakson quizzed Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on everything from gun rights to her opinions on Georgia's water wars with neighboring states during a private meeting Tuesday. Georgia's junior senator said he has concerns about Kagan's lack of judicial experience and her previous stance on military recruiting on college campuses, but he isn't saying publicly whether he plans to vote to confirm her. "This was a meeting just to get to know the person a little better," Isakson, a Republican, said after his 15-minute meeting on Capitol Hill with President Barack Obama's newest nominee to the nation's highest court. "Her responses were thoughtful, and I look forward to doing what I do in these cases," he said. "I'm going to watch [her testimony] before the [.... Click here to view entire article.     Senate Dems to give federal commission say over legal immigrant workers 5/26/2010 By Laura Litvan Monday, May 24, 2010 Democrats crafting an overhaul of U.S. immigration laws are bringing a new approach to a long-stalled debate: giving a federal commission some power over the future flow of legal foreign workers. Senate Democratic leaders are drafting a measure to authorize a commission to recommend levels of employment-based visas and green cards that let immigrants work legally in the United States. The plan would require Congress, in certain cases, to vote when immigrant labor is deemed out of line with demand. Although the commission would have limited influence over the skilled-immigrant market for technology and other industries, it would have a major role in regulating low-skilled foreign labor. The idea is another example of lawmakers showing a will.... Click here to view entire article.     Round 2 of tri-state water hearings nears court 5/10/2010 By Jeff Gill jgill@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED May 9, 2010 11:30 p.m. Memories of the two-year drought that drained Lake Lanier to a historic low are about to be revived in the courtroom. Oral arguments could take place in June or July over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ operation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin — another thorny issue in Georgia’s ongoing water battle with Alabama and Florida. Florida invoked the Endangered Species Act to force the corps to maintain higher flows during the 2007-09 drought to protect several threatened and endangered species in the Apalachicola River, which winds through the Panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico. That set off a political barrage from Georgia, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who said he found it “u.... Click here to view entire article.     With new rules, water system repairs on tap 5/10/2010 By Merritt Melancon - merritt.melancon@onlineathens.com Published Monday, May 10, 2010 Buzz up!WINDER - Water departments have long encouraged customers to fix leaky pipes and running toilets in order to conserve water, but some older water systems have not been taking their own advice. Even during drought conditions, some systems lose almost a one-fifth of the water they purify through leaky water mains, but many are starting to take the leakage more seriously. "There comes a time for every water system where you have to start paying more attention to your existing infrastructure," said Roger Wilhelm, director of the Winder Utility Department. "You've got to switch gears: Stop focusing on expansion and start focusing on rehabilitation." Ignoring the city's old pipes unless th.... Click here to view entire article.     Gwinnett opens gates on water reclamation effort to Lanier 5/6/2010 By Patrick Fox The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Gwinnett County opened the valves Wednesday on a $72 million pipeline that will send some 40 million gallons of treated water a day back into Lake Lanier -- and return it cleaner than when it left. The opening of the pipeline, 10 years in the making, comes as the county is fighting to keep its access to the lake, its sole source of water for its nearly 800,000 residents. It gives Gwinnett bragging rights for reducing its impact on a coveted resource embroiled in a three-state feud. "Getting ready to put as much as 40 million gallons a day of treated water back into Lake Lanier will be a huge plus in the water wars," said County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister. Gwinnett County has joined the state in asking an appeals .... Click here to view entire article.     EPA Takes a Second Look at Popular Pesticide Atrazine 5/5/2010 By By Jack Weingart, CBS News Investigative Unit The Environmental Protection Agency is rethinking its regulatory position on atrazine, one of the most commonly-used weed killers in America, as new scientific studies find the pesticide more hazardous than previously believed. The EPA's independent scientific advisory panel is set to review the EPA's most recent evaluation of the popular pesticide atrazine and its non-cancer effects in a four-day public meeting starting next Monday, April 26. Atrazine has been on the market and deemed safe by the U.S. government since 1958. The EPA estimates 76.5 million pounds of active ingredient are applied across the country every year, primarily on corn crops in the Midwest. Even though the EPA concluded in 2003 that atrazine was "not likely.... Click here to view entire article.     Retail Group Dumps Fertilizer Ban 5/5/2010 EDITOR'S NOTE: This story updates, expands and clarifies our first report posted April 20. As Pinellas County goes, so goes Florida -- so environmentalists hope. But the Florida Retail Federation says Pinellas' ban on the sale of certain fertilizers in the summer months would sow chaos for business if that prohibition were to randomly spread city by city, county by county. Attempting to nip local bans in the bud, the Retail Federation supported an amended version of House Bill 1445 to authorize the state's agriculture commissioner to regulate fertilizer sales. "We understand there are federal water quality guidelines and that each area of the state has unique issues. We also believe this is best handled at the state level," said Sally West, director of government affairs for th.... Click here to view entire article.     Huge electric rate hike request on horizon 4/30/2010 Georgia Power will be asking for a “significant” rate increase this summer, possibly topping $800 million per year, utility regulators said on Thursday. The figure dwarfs the company’s past two rate increase requests. Georgia Power received $515 million per year total in new revenues from the rate cases decided in 2004 and 2007. Those combined hikes raised the typical residential customer's bill by about $9 per month. It's not yet clear how much the upcoming increase request would raise customers' bills, how much of it regulators would actually approve, or how much of it will be borne by businesses as opposed to residential customers. The company won't file its rate increase request until July, and typically keeps details under wraps until the filing. In a conference with Wa.... Click here to view entire article.     For Georgia businesses, 2010 state legislative session a winner 4/29/2010 For business interests, this year's state legislative session was a smashing success, delivering on three high-profile issues targeted by leaders: Transportation, water and education. But there were other gains, too, including the creation of a special council to study tax reform, and tax credits for investors in startup companies. Big and small business groups both hailed the session, which concludes Thursday. Suzanne Sitherwood, chairwoman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, cited better communication among business groups, including the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Council for Quality Growth. "It all came together," said Sitherwood, president of Atlanta Gas Light. "We spoke with one voice." Renay Blumenthal, senior vice president of the .... Click here to view entire article.     In time of cuts, state still pays for roadside beauty 4/19/2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution At the same time it is scraping for every penny, the state continues to spend more than $3 million a year planting roadside flowers and landscaping, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. In fact, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned, the DOT has $1.3 million in flower-planting reserves that it won’t spend on anything else. Because, according to state officials, that would be illegal. Even if DOT wanted to bend to the brutal economy and spend the flower-planting money on roads rather than roadsides, it couldn’t. That money comes from the sale of special car license plates with wildflower themes, and state law mandates that the revenues from those tags be spent on beautification, no matter what. It’s in a state statute, a.... Click here to view entire article.     Panel OKs authority to limit Atlanta water 4/16/2010 ATLANTA --- Communities wanting to block Atlanta from taking water out of local rivers won a victory Thursday in a legislative committee but might get set back again next week. An amendment to restrict the transfer of water from one river basin to another won passage Thursday in the House Natural Resources Committee. The amendment, sought by legislators from outside of Atlanta, would put into law guidelines that were drafted last year for the state's water-use plan but which don't currently have the force of law. The director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division would have to weigh various scientific, engineering and economic considerations before granting new permits for withdrawal from rivers when the water would be used in a different river basin. It was added to.... Click here to view entire article.     Moment of Silence Harry Joseph Baldwin, FASLA 4/8/2010 Harry Joseph Baldwin, 86, of Doraville, Ga. passed away March 12, 2010 at St. Joseph’s Hospital of heart failure. Mr. Baldwin left his mark on Atlanta-area landscapes. His nearly 60 years of landscape architecture work included numerous apartment complexes, office parks and subdivisions in Atlanta. His favorite work was designing parks to let people connect with nature. He also did master plans for the campuses of Morehouse College and West Georgia University, Gwinnett Technology Park, Ebenezer Baptist, Wesley Woods Seniors Center, a wheelchair-accessible garden at the Shepherd Center and a number of marinas at Lake Lanier. The ASLA honored Mr. Baldwin’s designs with two awards: in 1984 for his plan for Emmie Smith Park in Lithonia, and in 1985 for his renovation of DeKalb Memoria.... Click here to view entire article.     State ends 15-month slide with positive revenue news 4/8/2010 Though overall tax collections in March rose by just 1 percent over 2009, it's the first positive signal on revenue collections since November 2008. However, the numbers, reported by Gov. Sonny Perdue's office, aren't nearly enough to make a dent in the state's budget woes. "While we are always cautious about reading too much into a single month's revenue report, the March numbers are certainly encouraging," Perdue said in a statement. "Springtime in Georgia always brings us the Masters and the Braves' opening day, and I am hopeful we are also seeing the first buds of economic recovery." Revenue collections were boosted by a surge in corporate income tax payments and a modest bump in gross sales tax collections. Businesses paid 9.8 percent more in income taxes in March than a year.... Click here to view entire article.     White House starts $21 million program to aid small businesses 4/8/2010 By David Cho Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, April 5, 2010 In March 2009, President Obama vowed to address the drought of bank lending to small companies and announced an initiative to use $15 billion from the federal bailout to unfreeze the markets that finance Small Business Administration loans. More than a year later, the program was finally launched -- as a $21 million effort. The program is one of several small-business lending initiatives developed by the administration that have struggled to get off the ground. Meanwhile, lending to these companies has fallen. Federal data show that lending to small businesses by community banks declined by about $8 billion, or 2 percent, between September 2008 and September 2009. Administration officials say helping small b.... Click here to view entire article.     Harvesting rainwater to ease Atlanta’s water woes 4/8/2010 Metro Atlanta’s water challenges have rolled through the region like a giant thunderclap in the night, waking its residents from their dream that Georgia’s water resources are unlimited and well-managed. .S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson’s order threatening a dramatic rollback in the amount of water the region can withdraw from Lake Lanier, last year’s drought and staggering property damage from storm-inundated water channels have made indisputably clear the need for new ways to think about how we gather, use and manage our water resources. The fastest, easiest and most effective technique for increasing our available water resources, coping with drought conditions and controlling storm runoff has been overlooked so far in efforts to change the state’s water management systems, .... Click here to view entire article.     Groups lobby against English-only driver's license test 4/8/2010 By Ernie Suggs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Now that a controversial bill designed to prevent anyone from taking the Georgia driver’s license test in any language other than English has moved out of the Senate, opponents rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday to prevent it from becoming a law. Calling the bill anti-immigration, racist and xenophobic, as well as an economic development killer, opponents are calling on the Georgia House to block the bill. “This demonstrates the strong growing opposition to this bad public policy bill,” said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director for the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. “This bill goes after legal immigrants for not being proficient in English.” Currently, a Georgia driver’s license test can be administered in .... Click here to view entire article.     Heavy winter rains didn't wash away watering schedule 4/1/2010 You may not know it, but if your house has an even-numbered address and you are watering your lawn on Tuesday, you are violating Georgia law. "It hasn't really been an issue yet because historically, in the past few months, it's been pretty wet. But many residents probably don't realize there are any regulations on outdoor watering right now, and would probably be surprised to know they are on a three-day only regulation," Kathy Nguyen, senior project manager for the Cobb County Water System, said. Nguyen said property owners with even or unnumbered addresses can water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only. Those with odd numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. No outdoor watering is allowed on Fridays. Nguyen said the state sets the water regulations,.... Click here to view entire article.     Atlanta water would come from metro area under new plan 4/1/2010 CALHOUN, Ga. -- A water planner from Atlanta on Wednesday discussed a new plan with other North Georgia water officials that would strengthen conservation and build reservoirs in the metro area but leave most northern streams alone. Matthew Harper, senior principal with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, told the Coosa-North Georgia Water Planning Council that the Atlanta area cannot meet its future water demands without "aggressive water conservation." He also announced the district was looking into the building of six new reservoirs -- all of them inside the metro area. The district's plan calls for two reservoirs in Fulton County with more reservoirs in Paulding, Hall and Henry counties and one in the Gainesville area, Mr. Harper said. The plan is a change .... Click here to view entire article.     SBA ARC Loan Program 4/1/2010 If your small business is stressed meeting expenses during these economic times, the U.S. Small Business Administration has a new loan program designed just for you. SBA’s America’s Recovery Capital Loan Program can provide up to $35,000 in short-term relief for viable small businesses facing immediate financial hardship to help ride out the current uncertain economic times and return to profitability. Each small business is limited to one ARC loan. ARC loans will be offered by some SBA lenders for as long as funding is available or until September 30, 2010, whichever comes first Click here to view entire article.     Raleigh: Ban on pine straw under chief's review 4/1/2010 RALEIGH -- City fire chief John McGrath is reviewing a report that recommends limiting the use of pine straw near buildings with combustible materials, such as vinyl siding. The 6-1/2 page report follows a fire last week that destroyed a half-dozen homes in a new North Raleigh neighborhood. Witnesses said the fire appeared to crawl along the ground, whipped by wind and fed by dry, dormant grass and pine straw, before leaping and burning virtually everything in its path, witnesses said Fire officials know that the fire that destroyed the six homes in Highland Creek started in the grass, but they have not determined what sparked it. Three years ago a wind-whipped fire, which was started in pine straw by a carelessly tossed cigarette, destroyed two dozen townhouses at Pine Knoll T.... Click here to view entire article.     How the health care bill will impact individuals, businesses 3/31/2010 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as the health reform bill, was signed by President Obama Tuesday. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the health care overhaul will cost $940 billion over 10 years, and will cover 32 million uninsured individuals. Meanwhile, Americans wait to find out how much our share of the tab will be, and how this mammoth legislation will affect our daily lives. How will this bill be paid for? Clint Stretch, the managing principal of tax policy for Deloitte Tax, LLP, says Obama intends to raise approximately half of the bill’s cost, $400 billion over the next decade, by raising taxes on what the president calls “top earners.” A quarter of the bill’s cost will be raised through an excise tax on the health insurance indu.... Click here to view entire article.     Deere says health care law will raise expenses 3/31/2010 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Deere & Co. said Thursday that changes to the health care law signed into law this week will raise related costs this year by $150 million. The biggest U.S. maker of farm equipment became the second major company in as many days to say it would take a charge for fiscal 2010. Deere and Caterpillar Inc., which reported that it would record a $100 million charge Wednesday, say the health care overhaul President Barack Obama signed Wednesday will make a subsidy the companies receive for retiree drug coverage taxable in 2011. Both companies said it was a one-time charge as they adjust to the new level of expected taxes. Deere and Caterpillar were among the 10 companies that sent a letter to Congressional leaders in December warning of cost increases. Others were:.... Click here to view entire article.     UGA deans: Cuts hurt future 3/15/2010 Editor's note: This column came from the deans of the University of Georgia, the state's flagship institution. The employees of the University of Georgia recognize the extreme economic times facing the state. As many Georgia citizens have lost jobs or experienced decreased income, the faculty and staff of UGA also have made sacrifices in response to budget cuts, such as decreased pay resulting from furloughs, increased cost of health insurance and more work responsibilities because of open positions left unfilled. We are proud of how our dedicated employees have persevered in fulfilling all the missions of the University, despite the hardships being faced. Faculty and staff are willing to continue making sacrifices to help balance the budget, while at the same time preserving th.... Click here to view entire article.     Water transfers would be severely limited under new bills 3/15/2010 Water transfers would be severely limited under new bills By S. HEATHER DUNCAN - hduncan@macon.com Sign up for daily e-mail news alerts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buzz up! E-Mail Print Reprint|license Text Size: tool nameclose tool goes here Identical bills introduced last week in the Georgia House and Senate would severely restrict water and sewer utilities from moving water between river basins, a move that reflects a growing fear that Atlanta will slurp up most of the state’s water supply. Most Georgia rivers, including the Flint and Ocmulgee in Middle Georgia, trace their source to Atlanta. A federal judge ruled last year that Lake Lanier was never authorized as a primary water source for Atlanta, a.... Click here to view entire article.     Assembly passes two water bills 3/11/2010 ATLANTA - Identical water conservation bills cleared both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly on Wednesday, an overture designed to help the state in negotiating a deal with Florida and Alabama over water rights. The bills provide incentives to encourage water conservation. Among the provisions are a requirement that builders install low-flow faucets and toilets in new construction and a watering ban during some daylight hours in the warmer months. A federal judge ruled last July that the sprawling metro Atlanta area had little legal right to the drinking water from Lake Lanier. The ruling gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida - the states that have long feuded over the massive federal reservoir - until 2012 to reach an agreement for sharing the water. If they don't, Atlanta's acces.... Click here to view entire article.     Lawmakers approve ‘culture of conservation' water bill 3/11/2010 A bill that state lawmakers say will create a “culture of conservation” and potentially help douse Georgia’s water war with Florida and Alabama is all but a done deal. The state Senate passed its final version of the bill 52-0 on Wednesday, and the House quickly followed with a 166-5 vote on an identical version of the proposal. One chamber’s bill must now clear the other chamber before the legislation heads to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature. That procedural requirement, however, is just a technicality; leaders in both chambers were already applauding final action on the 15-page bill. The bill, among other things, would curtail outdoor watering and require builders and apartment building owners to more efficiently manage water. Perdue said he will sign the bill as soon as it .... Click here to view entire article.     Regents spend little time on budget crisis 3/11/2010 Regents spend little time on budget crisisBy Walter Jones Morris News Service Thursday, March 11, 2010 ATLANTA --- The simmering budget crisis facing the state and the University System of Georgia was hardly mentioned Tuesday or Wednesday during the Board of Regents' monthly meeting. It was referred to briefly when the board approved a statement of principles to "guide campus-level innovation" by urging the presidents of the state's 35 public colleges to seek ways to grow that don't depend on tax funds. Last week, members of the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees for higher education asked for a list of cuts totaling $300 million that the system would make if it couldn't raise tuition or fees. The response included more than 4,000 layoffs, enrollment caps, closing of.... Click here to view entire article.     Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Water Stewardship Legislation 3/11/2010 Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Water Stewardship Legislation Passing Both the House and Senate Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774 ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today regarding the House and Senate each passing separate water stewardship legislation. The Senate passed its legislation 52-0, the House passed its legislation 166-5. “Both the House and Senate took major steps today towards our goal of creating a true culture of conservation in Georgia. This legislation promotes water conservation in Georgia and shows our neighbors that we are serious about being good stewards of our natural resources. Both Senator Tolleson and Representative Smith have done outstanding work putting this bill .... Click here to view entire article.     Wanted: A new home for thousands of trees 3/1/2010 Natures Inc., a nursery in the Shannon-Plainville area is facing a dilemma that could be a boon to tree lovers. Lynn Gilbreath said that Georgia Power has informed the nursery, which is growing trees at three different locations, will have to get rid of young trees that are planted under utility transmission lines by the end of March or face the specter of having the trees bush hogged. The firm has a large tree farm near the intersection of Highways 53 and 140, another off the Plainville Road and a third off Highway 53. Gilbreath said that the company would offer thousands of trees for sale for digging fees, generally $25 to $40. Several different species of maple, a number of oak species, river birch and other species will be available. “It may be 20,000 trees, you cannot.... Click here to view entire article.     University System to submit proposed cuts 3/1/2010 ATLANTA - The Georgia General Assembly remains in recess this week, but members of several key committees will spend the week hashing out details of the budget, state water conservation policy and transportation funding. This will be the second week of an unusual two-week recess that legislative leaders declared after the 20th day of the 40-day session. Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will meet and compare notes gathered last week during testimony from agency heads about pared-down operations. Leaders from the University System of Georgia today plan to deliver a list of cuts it is recommending to slash $300 million more from the state's 35 public colleges and universities - on top of the $265 million that Gov. Sonny Perdue already mandated. Appropriati.... Click here to view entire article.     Interior Department Launches WaterSMART Initiative 2/26/2010 WASHINGTON, D.C.—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a Secretarial order establishing a new water sustainability strategy for the United States. Salazar showcased the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART Initiative at a press conference featuring a geospatial presentation on water supply and demand in the high-tech operations center at the Department’s headquarters.The “SMART” in WaterSMART stands for “Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow.” “The federal government’s existing water policies and programs simply aren’t built for 21st century pressures on water supplies,” Salazar said. “Population growth. Climate change. Rising energy demands. Environmental needs. Aging infrastructure. Risks to drinking water supplies. Those are just some of the .... Click here to view entire article.     Report: E-Verify misses half of illegal workers 2/26/2010 WASHINGTON — The system Congress and the Obama administration want employers to use to help curb illegal immigration is failing to catch more than half of the unauthorized workers it checks, a research company has found. The online tool E-Verify, now used voluntarily by employers, wrongly clears illegal workers about 54 percent of the time, according to Westat, a research company that evaluated the system for the Homeland Security Department. E-Verify missed so many illegal workers mainly because it can't detect identity fraud, Westat said. "Clearly it means it's not doing its No. 1 job well enough," said Marc Rosenblum, a researcher at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Washington think tank. E-Verify allows employers to run a worker's information against Department of.... Click here to view entire article.     University system looks to cut $565 million 2/26/2010 By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Feb. 25, 2010 11:27 p.m. Two area colleges have been directed to make more than $7.5 million in combined cuts to meet state legislators’ budget demands. After a meeting with the House and Senate subcommittees on higher education Wednesday, Erroll B. Davis Jr., chancellor of the University System of Georgia, is looking to cut the university system’s budget by $565 million — nearly $200 million more than the system expected to cut before Wednesday, said system spokesman John Millsaps. On Thursday, the chancellor directed system presidents to come up with a plan to make the cuts by Saturday afternoon, detailing specific amounts that each institution would have to cut. The chancellor plans to make a systemwide recomm.... Click here to view entire article.     Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announces final rule for H-2A program 2/25/2010 Labor certification for temporary agricultural employment of H-2A workers in US to strengthen worker protection for both American and foreign workers WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a new rule regarding the H-2A program. The Labor Department will publish in the Feb. 12 edition of the Federal Register, a final rule governing the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. The final rule is being published to strengthen worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers and to ensure overall H-2A program integrity. The rule will be effective March 15, 2010. The H-2A nonimmigrant visa classification applies to foreign workers coming to or already in the U.S. to perform agricultural work.... Click here to view entire article.     Rainwater Reuse for Water Sustainability 2/24/2010 If you drive any type of gas-powered vehicle, you are very much aware that the cost to fill up your tank has skyrocketed. But have you checked your water bill lately? Droughts and population growth have resulted in more people having to rely on less water, making it an increasingly scarce commodity. In some areas, water rates have risen more than 25% as municipalities struggle to meet the growing population’s demand for water. A large portion of these fees go to build and maintain the infrastructure that transports water to homes and businesses. Water utility providers have passed laws to limit the number of times water can be accessed, employing tier pricing to encourage decreased usage and limiting the availability of new services. While conservation programs have helped somewhat, only.... Click here to view entire article.     Cobb judge delays school turf installation 2/24/2010 Not all Cobb County high schools will have artificial turf fields by fall following a judge's injunction Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Watson White has prohibited the school district from moving forward with plans to spend $16 million to install artificial turf until further notice, according to Jay Dillon, spokesman for the district. "Delaying this initiative means not all fields will be installed by the start of school this fall, and when they are eventually installed the cost is likely to be higher," Superintendent Fred Sanderson told the AJC. In September 2008, Cobb voters approved the turf as part of a special sales tax to benefit schools. The tax is expected to generate $586 million for the school system over five years. The tax money is separate from the district's gener.... Click here to view entire article.     Report: Georgia should add jobs in 2011 2/24/2010 Georgia will lose another 35,600 jobs this year -- about half of them good-paying positions -- before finally resuming job growth in 2011, according to a report issued today by the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University. The state will add 43,200 jobs in 2011 and 66,700 in 2012, according to the report. But that will only begin to offset the more than 340,000 lost during the recession, it says. Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Georgia State center, said the national economy will continue to recover sluggishly, although the worst is over. “Previous sharp recoveries were accompanied by a strong recovery in jobs – one that is notably absent at present,” he wrote in the report released at the center’s quarterly forecasting conference. “Investment spending, a leading ind.... Click here to view entire article.     State, feds resist their own stormwater rules 2/24/2010 Decades after the state imposed storm water rules on local governments in metro Atlanta, it has yet to set such rules for its own highways, university campuses and other properties. State and federal agencies have also balked at paying fees to defray local costs of meeting state and federal storm water mandates, a stance that could leave private property owners footing the entire bill for keeping urban runoff out of creeks. State agencies and state lawmakers have tried once — and are expected to try again — to bar local governments from billing state properties for the cost of controlling their runoff. The irony isn’t lost on local officials. As they toughen storm water controls, resistance is coming from the state and federal governments that ordered the controls in the first .... Click here to view entire article.     State House passes midyear budget 2/12/2010 By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Feb. 12, 2010 12:40 a.m. State Rep. Carl Rogers, a vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, may finally get to work on something else this weekend. After weeks of carving, the state House approved a midyear budget that slashes $1.2 billion in spending and includes more unpaid furlough days for state employees. And for the first month of the session, Rogers said he spent “199.9 percent” of his time trying to lower state departments’ spending to the level of sagging state revenues. And this weekend, he hopes to get moving on some of his own legislation that, until now, he hasn’t had time for. “Doing the midyear budget’s been very difficult,” Rogers said. “It’s hard enough to do it when there’s mon.... Click here to view entire article.     Lawmakers analyzing water conservation bill for Lake Lanier in detail 2/12/2010 ATLANTA - Lawmakers this week are getting their first detailed look at Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendations for statewide water conservation. House and Senate committees held hearings, with a parade of witnesses offering recommendations on how to lessen the impact on one industry or another. The ideas for the bill came from some of the suggestions produced by a task force of business and environmental groups Perdue appointed last summer after a federal judge ruled cities near Atlanta had no right to withdraw water from Lake Lanier, giving them until 2012 to find other sources. State officials hope that passing a conservation law will give them bargaining power with the judge and with Alabama and Florida, which convinced the judge they're due the water once it flows down the Chattah.... Click here to view entire article.     National Retail Federation forecasts 2.5% increase in retail sales for 2010 2/2/2010 he National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent. “As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, ret.... Click here to view entire article.     National Retail Federation forecasts 2.5% increase in retail sales for 2010 2/2/2010 he National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent. “As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, ret.... Click here to view entire article.     England Named Vice Chair of Appropriations 1/26/2010 Representative Terry England (R-Auburn) has been named to the powerful position of vice-chairman of the House Subcommittee on Education. House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) made the announcement during the first week of the legislative session. “Terry England will bring thorough and deliberate leadership to this important position overseeing the state’s budget for education at the K-12 level,” said Speaker Ralston. “His strong conservative principles will help guide our state’s fiscal policy and ensure that we continue to provide the best education for Georgia’s children.” Representative England will also continue to serve as vice chairman of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, in addition to being a member of the Education, Industrial Relations, and Natural .... Click here to view entire article.     Lecture series focuses on tri-state water wars 1/26/2010 From staff reports POSTED Jan. 25, 2010 11:32 p.m. Georgia’s water wars will be the subject of an upcoming lecture series at Georgia State University in Atlanta. The university’s department of geosciences plans to present speakers who have different perspectives on the ongoing dispute between Georgia, Alabama and Florida over water resources in Lake Lanier. The series is free and open to the public. Scheduled speakers include: James Bross, professor of law at Georgia State, who is an expert on water law and the history of the dispute, on Thursday. Neill Herring, a lobbyist with the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club, who will speak about water conservation in Atlanta, on Feb. 11. Frank Stephens, program analyst for Gwinnett County’s Department of Wat.... Click here to view entire article.     Cagle Promises Changes To Tax System 1/26/2010 Tax system reforms on the way, Cagle says 10:14 am January 25, 2010, by nancybadertscher Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told the state’s mayors Monday that the Senate will be rolling out legislation this week aimed at correcting inequities in the state’s property tax system. Cagle, in a breakfast address kicking off the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual Mayors’ Day, said changes will be recommended to ensure “fairness and equity” not only for the cities and counties, but also for taxpayers. He did not provide details of the plan, but said it would involve “structural changes” in the calculation of fair market value. Changes in the state’s property tax system are ranking high on legislators’ priority list. Among them are expected to be an easier process for homeowners to challenge t.... Click here to view entire article.     Oxendine would dip into water at border 1/21/2010 Chattanooga Times Free Press Georgia gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine said if he's elected he'll meet with Tennessee's new governor to discuss ways Georgia could gain access to the Tennessee River. If negotiations fail, he vowed to take his request to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Oxendine, one of seven announced Republican candidates for governor and the state's fire and insurance commissioner, visited Chattanooga on Wednesday and spoke with Times Free Press reporters and editors. As one of 12 items in his Contract with Georgia, Mr. Oxendine has said he would break ground on new reservoirs in North Georgia. He said Wednesday that the Tennessee River should not be "the key" to Georgia's long-term water plan, but said he hoped it would play "a very important role" in the s.... Click here to view entire article.     Marietta Square: Keep off the (artificial) grass 1/19/2010 There's no question that Glover Park in Marietta Square isn't the easiest place in the world in which to grow grass these days. That said, it would be a mistake to pull up the grass there and replace it with artificial turf. The park plays hosts to a constant stream of concerts, rallies, political events and weddings, as well as being heavily visited by sightseers and workers from nearby stores and government office buildings out taking a stroll or enjoying the air. That heavy foot traffic and ground compaction is undoubtedly stressful for the grass. A number of wonderful, mature trees, some more than a century old, also shade part of the grass. "It's getting increasingly difficult to grow healthy grass in the park, so the turf would allow us to have a nice surface for people to sit .... Click here to view entire article.     Contractors singled out in Merkley amendment 1/18/2010 Heil Electric has provided employee health benefits for more than 50 years, said Stan Heil, a principal with the Portland electrical company. Some of his competitors don’t, he said. “In about two hours, six of my competitors on a job I’m bidding don’t provide any benefits,” Heil said. His options: either get by with less profit or lose the bid. An amendment to the federal health care reform bill could change that by requiring even small contractors to provide health benefits to their employees. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., added the amendment, which was written earlier, to the bill on Sunday. Merkley’s amendment would require construction companies with five or more employees, and at least $250,000 in annual payroll expenses, to provide health benefits to their workers. Companies in.... Click here to view entire article.     Georgia Ag Hall of Fame nominees sought 1/15/2010 Each year, the University of Georgia pays tribute to outstanding Georgia agricultural leaders by inducting them into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association is currently seeking nominations for the honor. The program is designed to recognize individuals who have made significant achievements in agriculture, agribusiness industries or the service institutions. Nominees may be retired or active, man or woman, living or deceased. In addition, the association recognizes CAES alumni who have excelled in their chosen fields or in serving their communities. Nominees for the CAES Alumni Association Young Alumni Achievement Award must be 35 years old or younger. Nominees for the CAES Alumni Award of Excellence mu.... Click here to view entire article.     Georgia cities set rainfall records in December 1/15/2010 By Pam Knox University of Georgia Georgia ended 2009 on a cold, rainy note, setting several records for December across the state, including some annual records. Strong fronts brought severe weather, too. Rainfall was well above normal, according to radar estimates. Many areas south of the fall line from Columbus to Augusta and in the northeast mountains received more than 10 inches of rain. The highest monthly total from National Weather Service reporting stations was 13.62 inches in Columbus (9.22 inches above normal). The lowest was in Brunswick at 4.02 inches (1.19 inches above normal). Atlanta received 9.10 inches (5.28 inches above normal), Macon 8.98 inches (5.05 inches above normal), Athens 8.87 inches (5.16 inches above normal), Augusta 8.97 inches (5.83 inches above n.... Click here to view entire article.     Water Conservation Could Limit Suburban Lawns 1/13/2010 John Boyle, a 51-year-old venture capitalist in Menlo Park, built a new home on his property more than a decade ago largely to create a big lawn where his children could play football or baseball. So Mr. Boyle, who is also a city councilman, is particularly sensitive to the idea that a proposed municipal ordinance to cut landscaping watering would prohibit other people from doing the same. He says he applauds conservation but is against the government dictating how to do it. “I think it is important, where possible, for people to design their yards the way they want,” he said in an interview last week. The all-American suburban lawn, the backdrop for everything from the illustrations in old Dick & Jane readers to House Beautiful, long ago began to fade in the drought-prone suburb.... Click here to view entire article.     Deal changes mind on lake bill 1/12/2010 U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal will change the language of a proposed bill after meeting with West Point Lake representatives for about an hour Monday afternoon. “West Point Lake is in a unique situation,” said Deal, a Gainesville Republican who is making a bid for governor. “We’ll be withdrawing the language about West Point.” Deal had proposed a bill late last year that would authorize all federal lakes in Georgia - including West Point - to be used for water supply. The move comes after a federal judge ruled this summer that Congress has three years to reauthorize Lake Lanier for water supply for the Atlanta metro area. If there’s no reauthorization, water users there will need to find another supply. West Point Lake advocates support the move to authorize Lanier as a drinking water sou.... Click here to view entire article.     Sonny Perdue raises the possibility of a special session to resolve water dispute 1/12/2010 In a quick session with reporters this morning, Gov. Sonny Perdue said that he and his fellow Republican governors in Florida and Alabama are on track to resolve a 19-year water dispute among the three states sometime this year. In fact, Perdue mentioned the “L” word he has previously dismissed. Legacy. But the governor also raised the possibility of a special session this year: “We’re hopeful we can get it done before the end of this session. That’s an aggressive, challenging timeline. But we have had a lot of progress over the holiday period. “I sense a renewed spirit of cooperation between Florida and Alabama, in order to get this done. I appealed to my colleagues that, if we’re going to leave a legacy in our states of solving this, rather than punting it to another adminis.... Click here to view entire article.     Sign-up for high tunnel project funding ends Jan. 15 1/12/2010 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering a new pilot project under the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative for growers to establish high tunnels (hoop houses) to increase the availability of locally-grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. A seasonal high tunnel is a greenhouse-like structure, at least 6 ft. in height, which modifies the climate inside to create more favorable growing conditions for vegetable and other specialty crops grown in the natural soil beneath it. This pilot program, which will be a 3-year study, will test the potential conservation benefits of growing crops under these structures. Participating growers can receive funding for 1 high tunnel. High tunnels in the study can cover as much as 5% of 1 acre or approximately a 30- by 72-ft. s.... Click here to view entire article.     Three states seek to keep water rights talks secret 1/7/2010 In a motion filed this week, the three states say keeping their talks and related documents confidential "may encourage the open exchange of information and proposals necessary to address the issues... and discourage the improper dissemination of the same." Some observers object. "We actually keep asking ourselves ‘What is it that has got to be concealed here?'" said Sally Bethea, executive director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, a Georgia water protection group. "After 20 years, don't we all basically know the facts? Is this confidentiality arrangement really something just to serve as cover for political leaders -- the governors? Bottom line, we think secrecy is not in the best interest of all the people in the three states who rely on these river systems." The execu.... Click here to view entire article.     Water talks to be held on both sides of river 1/7/2010 On the Georgia side, the Joint Regional Water Planning Council will meet Jan. 19 in Augusta. South Carolina's newly formed Savannah River Basin Regional Water Resource Forum meeting will be Jan. 21 in North Augusta. The South Carolina meeting's purpose is to allow stakeholders throughout the Savannah River Basin to offer their input on water quality and water supply issues. The Georgia group is also involved in issues such as water supply for municipalities and the eventual implementation of the statewide Comprehensive Water Management Plan. The Savannah River and the issue of interbasin transfers have come up often in discussions of how metro Atlanta provides drinking water. Click here to view entire article.     Professors seek to give LEED credits to plants 1/7/2010 Research involving toxin-absorbing plants is LEED-ing the way for a new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credit. "We want to give formal LEED credits for indoor air quality by removing [volatile organic compounds] using plants," said Svoboda Pennisi, an associate professor in the horticulture department. She said the process for a building to obtain LEED certification was similar to a college major. An architect chooses which type of LEED certification he or she wants, and then has several credits to choose from in order to obtain that certification, she said. "As I understand it, there is no formal LEED credit given to [indoor plants] other than something called 'greenwalls,' and that's more aesthetic and not related to indoor air quality," Pennisi said. She said .... Click here to view entire article.     Oregon nurseries' prospects stunted by recession 1/5/2010 Oregon's nursery and greenhouse industry, long the leading light of the state's agricultural economy, is in the depths of a historic downturn that is shedding jobs, causing bankruptcies and eroding the state's reputation as the best place in the country to grow plants, trees and shrubs. Here are highlights of a report on the situation that ran in The Oregonian: A confluence of events -- a slumping national economy, a dramatic drop in homebuilding, lack of access to credit and ruinous weather the past two winters -- means many of Oregon's nearly 2,200 nursery and greenhouse operators aren't likely to survive what's shaping up as a rocky 2010, industry veterans say. "It's terrible," said Scott Paul, who founded Alpine Nursery in Boring 33 years ago. "Worst I've ever seen it." P.... Click here to view entire article.     Thirsty Cities: Water management in a changing environment 1/5/2010 On a clear day in November 2007, the governor of Georgia held an unusual public vigil. Before the doors of his state capitol, Gov. Sonny Perdue bowed his head, took his wife’s hand and prayed for rain. Some called it a stunt. Others admired the gesture. Above all, one thing was clear: Northern Georgia was facing its worst drought in 100 years, and there was no easy fix. It would take unprecedented statewide efforts to save Georgia from ruin. With an average of 125 centimeters of rain a year, Georgia seems an unlikely place for a drought. Even in 2006 when the drought began, nearly 105 centimeters fell on the state. But Georgia’s water supply relies heavily on its system of reservoirs, which is entirely dependent on rain, and the state’s population growth — 18 percent between 2000 and.... Click here to view entire article.     GGIA Makes The Case For Smart Water Policy 1/4/2010 The members of the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) find themselves approaching the upcoming 2010 legislative session asking the same question as many metro Atlantans. Can a common sense solution be found to ensure future water supplies for Atlanta before the 2012 deadline imposed by a federal judge? The ultimate irony for an industry riddled by a historic drought followed by the current economic downturn was the timing of the judge’s decision. After months of bans on outdoor irrigation and the resulting demand destruction, Georgia had just emerged from the drought. Our growers, garden centers, landscapers and irrigation contractors began to once again hope for productive seasons only to be hit with the news that Atlanta might soon face massive water shortages. The timing wa.... Click here to view entire article.     Editorial: Water task force makes good recommendations 12/28/2009 The lead sentence in a Chattanooga Times Free Press story last week on the recommendations of a Water Contingency Task Force assembled by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue outlines, tongue-in-cheek, at least one reason the task force's report appears to be a serious look at how to handle looming water supply issues in the state. "A Georgia water planning group has issued its final report to the governor and the plan doesn't mention tapping the Tennessee River as an option," the story's first sentence reads, in a reference to efforts by the Georgia General Assembly in last year's legislative session to revive an arcane dispute over the boundary between the two states. To briefly recap, Congress in 1796 set Tennessee's southern boundary - and hence, Georgia's northern boundary - at the 35th la.... Click here to view entire article.     Congress introduces first comprehensive immigration reform legislation, and an employer-unfriendly H-2B reform proposal. 12/28/2009 Written by Craig Regelbrugge For Immediate Release December 17, 2009 On December 15, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and nearly 100 colleagues introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for American Security And Prosperity (CIR ASAP) legislation. The bill, the first comprehensive immigration bill introduced this Congress, contains enforcement and border security, employment verification, and legalization provisions. From an employer perspective it is a mixed bag. On a very positive note Gutierrez included the ANLA-endorsed AgJOBS provisions in his bill. AgJOBS would overhaul the H-2A program, and provide an earned legalization program for experienced and essential farm workers. On a more disappointing note, the bill would add more burdens to the H-2B program. While the bill is an .... Click here to view entire article.     Horticulture professor “hustles” for local charity 12/22/2009 Most of the horticulture industry knows Univ. of Ga. horticulture professor Allan Armitage for the research he conducts on annuals and perennials. Armitage has decided to expand his repertoire to include competitive dancing. He has agreed to participate in the 3rd annual Dancing with the Athens Stars competition in Athens, Ga., on March 21. The event is a major fund raiser for Project Safe, a non-profit organization seeking to end domestic violence. The competition spotlight’s some of the city’s local “celebrities” with a dance instructor. Allan will be dancing the Hustle with Liza Pitts, who is Miss Univ. of Ga. 2008. Trophies will be awarded to the couple most favored by a panel of judges as well as to the couple who earns the greatest number of votes prior to and during the competition.... Click here to view entire article.     Founder of Metrolina Greenhouses dead at 63 12/22/2009 Tom (Teunis) van Wingerden, founder of Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, N.C., was killed at the 150-acre facility on Dec. 19. WCNC-TV reports that Charlotte- Mecklenburg police were called to the greenhouses around 3:30 a.m. and that van Wingerden was involved in an accident inside the facilities involving an ATV-type vehicle. The Charlotte Observer reported that detectives were still investigating the case. van Wingerden was born on Feb. 12, 1946, in Ridderkerk, Netherlands. He was the 2nd eldest son of the 16 children born to the late Aart and Cora van Wingerden. Tom immigrated to the U.S. with his wife Vickie in 1971 and started Metrolina Greenhouses a year later. The company, which operates nearly 6 million sq. ft. of greenhouses, employs 600 full-time and over 200 part-time .... Click here to view entire article.     No rain records just yet 12/15/2009 The 56 inches of rain Athens has received so far this year hasn't broken any records - yet. But it's slowed construction across the region and pushed infrastructure projects past schedule. Following two of the 10 driest years in Northeast Georgia's history, the rainy year has taken many project managers by surprise - delaying construction schedules of long-planned projects like a trash transfer station that's under way in Jackson County. "If I knew this was all it would take to end the drought, we would have started work on (the transfer station) a long time ago," said Len Bernat, purchasing manager for the Jackson County government. "Have a big concrete pour scheduled, and you're guaranteed to have rain." Meteorologists with the National Weather Service have measured 56.3 inche.... Click here to view entire article.     2009 wettest year on record in Columbus, seventh-wettest in Atlanta so far 12/15/2009 The west Georgia city has recorded 74.77 inches of rain so far this year, about 10 inches more than has fallen in Atlanta, the National Weather Service said. The previous record for annual rainfall in Columbus was 73.22 inches, set in 1964. That record was shattered as 3 inches of rain fell over the weekend. The Weather Service has posted a flood watch for the Columbus area, beginning at 4 p.m. Monday and running through Tuesday evening, as 1 to 2 inches of rain is forecast. Atlanta's record for rainfall in a year is 71.18 inches, set in 1948, the Weather Service said. So far this year, the city's official rain gauge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has registered 64.44 inches of rain. If no more rain fell, 2009 would come in as Atlanta's seventh-wettest year. Atl.... Click here to view entire article.     Put up or shut up 12/15/2009 IT'S PUT up or shut up time today for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. Mr. Perdue is scheduled to meet today with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in a fresh effort to work out a three-way compromise on water rights, Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. The governor, to his credit, successfully convinced his counterparts to come to the table for the first time to settle the dispute as equals, outside a federal courtroom and the halls of Congress. But if the latest talks are to bear fruit, Mr. Perdue has to alter the script. Georgia officials can't use the same line - that metro Atlanta must have the water from Lake Lanier or it will wither - and expect sympathy and a favorable outcome. The meeting in Montgomery, Ala., between the three top executives represents .... Click here to view entire article.     Lake Hartwell option absent from water report 12/15/2009 Sonny Perdue's Water Contingency Task Force will not offer any interbasin transfer scenarios in its portfolio of options to resolve metro Atlanta's need for drinking water, according to the group's most recent report. "This was good news for our region, and we hope this position will remain firm," said Ron Cross, Columbia County Commission chairman and a member of the statewide committee. The committee said in a report last month that transferring water from the Savannah River basin to Atlanta was feasible but would be more expensive than other options. It specifically mentioned one scenario that would transfer 100 million gallons a day from Lake Hartwell into Lake Lanier, where it would be used by residents of Gwinnett County. Mr. Perdue's spokesman, Bert Brantley, said the conc.... Click here to view entire article.     Signs of potential progress in the ATL’s water crisis 12/15/2009 Asked about the water-war summit scheduled for today with his counterparts in Alabama and Florida, Gov. Sonny Perdue tried to lower expectations. “I would hope that we [governors] have a group hug and come out of that meeting with an agreement,” Perdue said last week. But those seemingly optimistic words were undercut by his “I’m-pulling-your-leg” smile, suggesting that a deal was only slightly less likely than the highly implausible group hug. Nonetheless, the fact that a meeting is taking place at all is progress. Presumably, the meeting was scheduled because exploratory discussions among lawyers and staff for Perdue, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley found enough common ground to believe it would be productive. Last week’s meeting of Georgia’s Water Conti.... Click here to view entire article.     Savannah frets over Atlanta's water plans 12/13/2009 As Atlanta sorts out its water supply issues, Savannah-area leaders are keeping tabs on how those plans might affect the coast. The Governor's Water Contingency Task Force met Friday to present its favored options for dealing with metro Atlanta's water crisis. In July, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson gave Georgia three years to either find a political solution to its ongoing water wars with Alabama and Florida or quit using Lake Lanier as a water source. The 87-member task force Friday recommended how metro Atlanta could best find the 250 million gallons per day of water Lanier supplies. The group, composed mainly of business leaders, emphasized what it called the three C's: -- Conserve: Aggressive conservation measures and reducing loss from leaks. -- Capture: Expandin.... Click here to view entire article.     GGIA Participates With River basin stakeholders approve letter to governors 12/11/2009 ALBANY — Meeting near the banks of the Flint River, more than 50 leaders of a group of tri-state river basin stakeholders agreed Thursday to send a letter to the governors of Alabama, Georgia and Florida to make them aware of their existence before the governors’ water summit Tuesday in Montgomery, Ala. That letter, which ACF Stakeholders members hope will be signal to the governors that their group comprising representatives of commercial, environmental and commercial interests in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint rivers basin wants to have input into negotiations between the three states regarding the use of water from the river systems. For years, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been at odds over how much water metro Atlanta should pull from Lake Lanier to provide water.... Click here to view entire article.     State Taken To Task On Water 12/11/2009 A task force of business and political leaders Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed in October to plan contingencies in case metro Atlanta no longer can draw water from Lake Lanier is scheduled to release its recommendations today. While the task force will recommend building new reservoirs and piping water from far-flung watersheds like Lake Hartwell and the Tennessee River to Atlanta, it is missing the "hidden reservoir" of conservation, April Ingle, director of the Athens-based Georgia River Network, said during a conference call with reporters Thursday. "We can get a lot more from (conservation) than the task force has proposed," Ingle said. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that, beginning in 2012, metro Atlanta can no longer take any more water from Lanier - a federal reservoir.... Click here to view entire article.     Everyone has stake in water 12/11/2009 As the Georgia, Alabama and Florida governors prepare to meet Tuesday on the issue of divvying up water resources from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin, perhaps politics and posturing will be put aside. What should occur to the governors is that this water is a very real resource that is vital to very real people. No state should focus only on what is best for it, nor should there be some scorecard kept to determine who won what in the negotiations. The biggest contention has been between the interests of metro Atlanta and Apalachicola Bay fishing interests. The truth is — or, at least it should be in a civilized society — that no Florida fisherman wants a north Georgian to be thirsty and no north Georgian wants a Florida fisherman to lose his livelihood or for there.... Click here to view entire article.     Hey Atlanta, hands off our water 12/11/2009 Those contemplating the future of Atlanta’s water supply have once again turned to northeast Georgia for a quick fix. As many Atlantans know, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson has passed down a self-professed “draconian” ruling that Atlanta has no right to draw water from Lake Lanier. The Governor’s Water Contingency Task Force recently viewed a presentation which offered several scenarios to close the 350 million gallon per day (mgd) shortfall. While there are no easy answers, when it comes to northeast Georgia water, the governor’s task force should be more about the “task” and less about the “force. Water is the lifeblood of any thriving community. If a populace is to survive and grow, there must be an ample supply of available water. Plans for providing this natural resource must ta.... Click here to view entire article.     Forum: Water efficiency is metro Atlanta's best bet 12/11/2009 Across Georgia, people are realizing the tri-state water war affects water supply planning not just in metro Atlanta, but in every part of the state. Nearly five months after Judge Paul Magnuson's federal ruling on Lake Lanier's water, the state's prospective response is beginning to take shape. Under Magnuson's ruling, the states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida have three years to develop an agreement for use of the Chattahoochee River, which was impounded decades ago to form Lake Lanier and in the years since has become metro Atlanta's major water supply. That's despite the fact - noted in the ruling - that supplying water wasn't among the purposes for which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established the lake. So how is the state responding to the ruling? "It's starting to look .... Click here to view entire article.     Water warnings 12/11/2009 First, the good: The three states involved in the longstanding regional rivers dispute will try again to negotiate some kind of agreement. The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia are scheduled to meet next Tuesday in Montgomery to restart water talks that have dried up so many times before. Bert Brantley, spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, noted that it would be “ambitious” to expect the governors to reach an immediate agreement. That’s no doubt an accurate and realistic assessment. But Govs. Bob Riley of Alabama and Charlie Crist of Florida had better not assume they can be too leisurely about the process, because the clock is ticking fast on another deadline Georgia has set on its own. Which brings us to the bad: Georgia’s Water Contingency Task Force, convened just two.... Click here to view entire article.     3 Governors to meet on water 12/11/2009 The governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama have agreed to meet Dec. 15 in a fresh effort to resolve their long-standing feud over water rights. The meeting in Montgomery, Ala., will be the first face-to-face water talks between the three governors — Sonny Perdue, of Georgia, Charlie Crist, of Florida, and Bob Riley, of Alabama — in two years. The decades-old, three-state water fight has taken on a new urgency for Georgia after a federal judge in July ruled the state has few legal rights to Lake Lanier, the main water supply for metro Atlanta. The judge gave the states and Congress until 2012 to reach an agreement. Otherwise, Atlanta will see its water supply from Lake Lanier reduced dramatically. Georgia is also appealing the judge's ruling. .... Click here to view entire article.     Watch out for our water 12/11/2009 We've said it and said it and said it: Metro Atlanta wants Augusta's water. Georgia's capital and its sprawling suburbs have coveted the Savannah River Basin for years. The state's most populous area slurps up about 200 million gallons a day from the Chattahoochee River, and it doesn't get put back. Atlanta is thirsty. And apparently it's looking at the CSRA. Again. Gov. Sonny Perdue's Water Contingency Task Force released a report this past week that, among other things, floated ideas on how metro Atlanta could supplement its water supply. The 80-member panel -- heavy on businessmen but light on actual scientists -- laid out several options, including the absolute worst option for the Augusta area: pumping water out of the Savannah River Basin. It's called an "interbasin tran.... Click here to view entire article.     US DEPARTMENT of LABOR: FALL REGULATORY AGENDA 2009 12/11/2009 Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Topic: Labor Certification for Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Workers Key Action: Review of the H-2B regulations will assist in supporting the Secretary's goal to increase workers' incomes and narrow wage and income inequalities by protecting the wages and working conditions of both American workers and foreign nationals working temporarily in the United States, supporting the Secretary's "good jobs for everyone" policy. Key Issues The Department has tentatively identified areas for regulatory review that would enhance current wage and working condition protections for both American workers and foreign nationals working temporarily in the United States, such as: * Employer Temporary Need: The Department will be .... Click here to view entire article.     HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES PERMANENT DEATH TAX FREEZE 12/11/2009 This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. The U.S. House of Representatives on December 3 approved legislation to permanently "freeze" the estate tax exemption and top estate tax margin rate at 2009 levels. H.R. 4154 sets the top rate at 45 percent and the individual exemption at $3.5 million, or $7 million in the case of spouses each claiming the exemption. Unfortunately, the House-passed measure fails to index the exemption level for inflation, a provision that ANLA and others in the business community sought. If the Senate follows the House's lead, the freeze would take effect at the end of this year. On the other hand, if the measure fails to become law, the estate tax will be fully repealed in 2010, but the repeal wil.... Click here to view entire article.     Health Care Debate 12/11/2009 HEALTH CARE REFORM DEBATE ON IN SENATE This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. On Saturday, November 21, the U.S. Senate voted 60-39 to begin debate on its version of health reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) merged the Health and Finance Committees' versions of reform legislation into the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)," and was successful in securing the 60 votes to begin consideration. Speculation is that the bill will be debated through most of December, and that changes to the current version will be needed to secure the 60 votes necessary to defeat a potential filibuster. Some believe the debate will stretch well into 2010. Upon introduction, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).... Click here to view entire article.     I-9 AUDITS - BEWARE, AND PREPARE 12/11/2009 This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse. Program partner benefit. Last summer, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it would conduct a record number of employer audits focusing on immigration compliance. Just before Thanksgiving, ICE announced another 1000 audits, to be conducted in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Information ANLA has obtained from ICE officials suggests that the largest number of audits will take place in the states of Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Arizona although all states will be affected. Agricultural and green industry operations have already been hit, including a production nursery and roughly nine other farm-related businesses in California, a la.... Click here to view entire article.     What's red, green and now greener? This poinsettia 12/11/2009 DURHAM, N.H. — The 700 poinsettias lined up in a University of New Hampshire greenhouse are all red, but the technique used to grow them is a bit more green than usual. Growing the perfect poinsettia has always been tricky. There's a narrow window to get plants to the ideal size, shape and color in time for the Christmas season. In recent years, high fuel costs — for heating greenhouses and shipping plants — have also made the work more expensive. With that in mind, researchers like those at UNH have been experimenting with "coldfinish" techniques that would allow growers to drop the temperatures in their greenhouses and save on heating costs. Though cooler temperatures slow plant growth and can require earlier planting, growers who cut back a few degrees late in the season still .... Click here to view entire article.     Water Contingency Task Force Recommends '3Cs' Strategy - Conserve, Capture and Control 12/11/2009 ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue received draft recommendations today from a water contingency task force made of business, government and environmental leaders from around the state. “These leaders from across Georgia looked all possible solutions and let the facts drive their recommendations,” said Governor Perdue. “They have done an outstanding job and I commend them for their hard work and commitment to Georgia. I look forward to continuing to work with the task force members as we work together to ensure sufficient water resources for Georgia's future.” The task force recommended a mix of actions known as the “3Cs” – conserve, capture and control. These include the following: • conserve - aggressive conservation measures and reducing loss from leaks • capture - expanding ex.... Click here to view entire article.     Leaders dispute water estimates 11/25/2009 Northeast Georgia may not have enough water for drinking, farming and industry in the coming decades because the state is lowballing how many people will live in the region, local officials say. Preliminary population estimates and other data that the state will use to predict how much water various regions will need are way off for the Oconee River basin, which includes Clarke and surrounding counties, according to members of the basin's regional water council. "That's become, I think, a little bit of a political issue," Jackson County Commission Chairman Hunter Bicknell said Tuesday. State officials are correcting the projections, said Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue. Preliminary estimates for Jackson County, for example, show it growing about 1 percent per y.... Click here to view entire article.     Task force: Water issue means $26 billion loss 11/25/2009 ATLANTA?- Georgia’s water task force has learned that losing Lake Lanier as a source for drinking water could mean an annual loss of more than $26 billion for businesses. The group met for a second time Monday while it tries to develop an alternative plan to using the lake. Georgia has been embroiled in a decades-long fight with Alabama and Florida over water rights. Joe Maltese, one of four representatives from downstream of Atlanta and LaGrange’s point-man on West Point Lake, said he commends Gov. Sonny Perdue for calling together the task force. “He’s given a lot of attention to this important issue and deserves credit for bringing it out into the open,” Maltese said. The 15-county metro Atlanta area, which doesn’t include Troup, faces a loss of 280 million gallons of wat.... Click here to view entire article.     Perdue gets big menu of water choices 11/24/2009 A task force of Georgia political, business and environmentalist leaders Monday gave Gov. Sonny Perdue a huge menu of water supply and conservation options if Lake Lanier is taken away as metro Atlanta’s main source of drinking water. Meeting at the Governor’s Mansion, the committee gave Perdue and the General Assembly choices to add to northern Georgia’s water supply through a series of reservoir projects and/or shift existing supplies from one river system to another, a process known as inter-basin transfers. Other water supply options include building a large desalination plant near Savannah and pumping the water to the Atlanta region, and storing water underground for use during times of need, a process known as aquifer storage and recovery. Conservation options on the list in.... Click here to view entire article.     Corps to tighten spigot at Lake Lanier 11/19/2009 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to tighten the spigot at the Atlanta region’s main source of drinking water based on a federal judge’s stinging ruling in the tri-state water dispute. Corps officials say they will rewrite their operating manuals for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin to prohibit certain water withdrawals and releases from Lake Lanier after July 2012. Only Buford and Gainesville would be allowed to continue pulling drinking water from the lake under the Corps’ plans. However, if Georgia, Alabama and Florida reach a compromise and Congress approves withdrawals from the lake, the Corps said it would update its manuals accordingly. The public will have 45 days to comment on the Corps’ plans starting Thursday. U.S. District Judge Paul Magn.... Click here to view entire article.     FNGLA's Persistent Stance Wins Landscape Irrigation Results from SFWMD 11/19/2009 After nearly two years of work, a consistent stick-to-the-science message and sheer perseverance, FNGLA scored a major industry victory last week. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) unanimously voted to adopt a year-round water conservation rule providing for what FNGLA long sought: 3-days per week (rather than the current 2-days) for lawn and landscape irrigation. The rule also embraced FNGLA’s goal of providing 90 days (rather than the current 60 days) irrigation for establishment of newly planted landscapes. FNGLA has gained the trust of the District’s staff and Governing Board members. We need to work diligently to continue to earn it. Several SFWMD governing board members and stakeholders (including environmental representatives) credited FNGLA’s insistent adh.... Click here to view entire article.     1st national sustainable rating system released for landscapes 11/11/2009 The Sustainable Sites Initiative has released the nation’s first rating system for the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. It was developed through a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden. The initiative’s rating system represents 4 years of work by the country’s leading sustainability experts, scientists and design professionals, as well as public input. “While carbon-neutral performance remains the holy grail for green buildings, sustainable landscapes move beyond a do-no-harm approach,” said Nancy Somerville, exec. v.p. and CEO of ASLA. “Landscapes sequester carbon, clean the air and water, increase energy efficiency, restore habitats and u.... Click here to view entire article.     Isakson: Senate Unlikely To Vote On Health Care Until Next Year 11/11/2009 11/11/09) Debate over the health care bill in the Senate likely will range over the next 6 to 10 weeks and a vote probably won’t occur until sometime next year, Sen. Johnny Isakson says. In an interview Tuesday with WABE-FM’s Dennis O’Hayer, Isakson also said the health care reform effort isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, as some contend. You can listen to the clip here. “A lot of people think this is an all-or-nothing situation. I’m a cup-half-full guy. Because we can’t do a comprehensive bill, because it’s too pervasive and too overreaching with the House bill it doesn’t mean we can’t do a number of things that would improve affordable access to health care … We’ve got to get past this all-or-nothing philosophical debate over whether the government should or should not contr.... Click here to view entire article.     EAB quarantines get larger 11/11/2009 The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the identification of emerald ash borer in Fayette and Morgan counties in West Virginia. EAB was also recently confirmed in Roane County. Previously, APHIS had established quarantine areas only Fayette and Morgan counties due to the establishment and enforcement of equivalent state quarantines. West Virginia has now rescinded their EAB quarantines. For this reason, APHIS is establishing quarantine for the entire state of West Virginia. APHIS is also establishing Milwaukee and Brown counties in Wisconsin as a quarantine area due to the confirmed identification of EAB. Effective immediately, all interstate movement of EAB-regulated articles from West Virginia and Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin m.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier to retain most of storm’s rainfall 11/10/2009 By Mitch Clarke mclarke@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Nov. 10, 2009 12:14 a.m. Almost no water will be released from Lake Lanier over the next few days as heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Ida hits Georgia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday. Rainfall from the tropical system today should be heavy across North Georgia. A flash flood watch is in effect for most of Northeast Georgia, including Gainesville, until early Wednesday morning and 3-5 inches of rain is likely, with heavier amounts possible locally. Across Northeast Georgia, officials are bracing for the heavy rain, making sure culverts and other drainage systems aren’t blocked. In Gainesville, school officials are working to ensure that leaky roofs on some schools won’t be a disruption today. "We’ve got.... Click here to view entire article.     State tax revenue falls 17.8% in October 11/10/2009 Atlanta Business Chronicle The amount of revenue the Peach State pulled in from various taxes plunged 17.8 percent in October, the Georgia Department of Revenue reported Monday. Georgia took in $1.14 billion last month, compared with $1.39 billion in October 2008. The $1.14 billion total includes $398 million in sales tax revenue (down 18.2 percent), a deficit of $4.9 million in corporate income tax revenue (down 120.8 percent), $610.6 million in individual income tax revenue (down 15.5 percent), $65.1 million in motor fuel tax revenue (down 14.2 percent) and $6 million in property tax revenue (down 31.1 percent). Through October, state tax revenue was down 15.1 percent to $4.66 billion .... Click here to view entire article.     Tough Legislative Session Ahead 11/10/2009 Tifton Gazette Legislators: Tough session ahead By Angie Thompson, Senior Reporter TIFTON — State elected representatives honored Monday morning with a breakfast at the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce told the room packed with people that tough economic times will continue through the next legislative session and call for more cuts to the budget. State Representative Austin Scott (R-Tifton), State Representative Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla) and State Senator John D. “Dickey” Crosby (R-Tifton) discussed issues of concern with those who attended. Scott, who is running for governor, said that state revenues for October were down 17.5 percent. “Anyone who tells you we are putting more money in aren’t telling you the truth,” Scott said. “The money is simply not there .... Click here to view entire article.     Just How Wet Was October? 11/10/2009 WSB Weather Blog How Wet was this October? After being in a drought much of the last three years, several sites across north and central Georgia has received some of the highest rainfall in the past month or so. For instance, October 2009 is the second wettest October ever at both Atlanta and Athens. The only October that had more rainfall in Atlanta was 1995 when the remnants of Hurricane Opal moved across the area early in the month bringing more than 8 inches to Atlanta over a three day period. The 2009 year in Athens will be second only to October of 1937 when Athens received 11.23 inches of rain. The following table shows the top ten wettest Octobers at Atlanta, Athens, Columbus and Macon: .... Click here to view entire article.     IA Stand on WaterSense New Homes Specifications 11/10/2009 Since May of 2008, the residential landscape and irrigation industries have been deliberating the content and revisions of EPA's Water-Efficient Single-Family New Home Specification. The opportunities and implications of such a program have become a constant undertone in almost every discussion related to the future of the landscape and irrigation industries. The IA believes that the new home spec is being released prematurely; current flaws make it unacceptable to the irrigation industry, developers and water providers. The outcome is yet to be determined. As stated in the association's comments submitted on July 2, "The Irrigation Association recommends to the EPA that decisions impacting landscape irrigation should be driven locally and that the EPA not move forward with the outdoor.... Click here to view entire article.     USDA TO CONDUCT CENSUS OF HORTICULTURE 11/10/2009 Athens, Georgia – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon conduct the 2009 Census of Horticultural Specialties. Taken once every 10 years, this census provides detailed information on horticultural production and sales across the United States. “The Census of Horticulture will include producers of floriculture, nursery and other specialty crops,” said Doug Kleweno, director of the Georgia Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). “This is an opportunity for horticultural producers to share their voices and help ensure the continued growth and long-term sustainability of horticultural farming in the United States.” The results of the census are used by industry, government, academia and others, aiding in the development of sound programs and policies, re.... Click here to view entire article.     Stabenow Cultivates Climate Change Role 11/10/2009 By Coral Davenport, CQ Staff A senator from one of the nation’s biggest industrial states — Debbie Stabenow of Michigan — has emerged as an unlikely champion for farm-state lawmakers and lobbyists angling for concessions in the Senate climate change bill. Stabenow has been working for about 18 months on a farms and forests bill. It will probably be merged with broader climate change legislation (S 1733) that would cap greenhouse gas emissions and establish a market for trading government-issued pollution allowances. The two-term Democrat has been negotiating closely with farm groups and the bill’s sponsors, John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to craft language that favors farmers and can win support from colleagues representing rural regions. Stabenow serves on the Agric.... Click here to view entire article.     Dalton test could help solve water war 11/6/2009 By Gary Tanner Correspondent DALTON, Ga. — A Dalton Utilities’ experiment with storing water underground could provide a solution to the decades-old water battle between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, the technology’s founder said. The states are locked in a three-way legal battle over water in the Chattahoochee River and Atlanta’s use of a reservoir on the river — Lake Lanier — as its primary water supply. The argument is that Atlanta uses too much water, resulting in too little water for users downstream in the other two states. But storing water underground in an aquifer near Columbus, Ga., and pumping it into the river when needed would result in a strong-enough flow to keep Alabama and Florida users happy, according to David Pyne, a former University of Florida engineering .... Click here to view entire article.     Johnson: Water and Jobs Are Concerns 11/5/2009 Johnson: Water, job universal concerns Ricki Barker Staff Writer ALBANY - As Gov. Sonny Perdue's time in office comes to a close, campaigns for the vacant seat are charging forward, hoping to become a front-runner to claim the title of governor in 2010. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, has been traveling across Georgia in recent weeks in pursuit of the Republican gubernatorial nomination. In September, Johnson announced his resignation of his Senate seat to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. "That was an easy decision when we decided to face it," he said Wednesday during an interview with The Herald. "I want to make sure I'm hearing the voters of Georgia." Johnson said he didn't feel it would be fair to his constituents to have a senator who was splitting half his time between.... Click here to view entire article.     California tackles water woes still confronting Georgia 11/5/2009 Out in California, a lengthy drought has forced state legislators to cut a massive deal on water, including mandated conservation, dams and canals and environmental restoration. From the LA Times: SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers capped months of discussions, weeks of tedious negotiations and years of chasing a water deal with approval of major legislation in a marathon session that ended Wednesday as the sun rose. The package, which includes an $11.1-billion bond that must go before voters, would nudge California in new directions on water policy while giving something to each of the major factions that have warred over the state’s supplies. The measure, likely to reach the governor’s desk early next week, would establish a statewide program that for the first time would measure if too.... Click here to view entire article.     Water use in the United States has leveled off 11/5/2009 Water use in the United States has leveled off: New remarkable numbers released New numbers on total water use in the United States in 2005 have just been released by the U.S. Geological Survey, which does an assessment of water use every five years. We have been tracking these numbers for many years. The new numbers are the latest evidence for a remarkable change in U.S. water use toward more efficient use -- a change the Pacific Institute has been calling for since our founding 22 years ago. Water Number: 410 billion gallons per day in 2005 compared to 413 billion gallons per day in 2000. This is the total amount of water withdrawn in the U.S. for all purposes (residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and power plant cooling). Despite continuing population growth, despite c.... Click here to view entire article.     Immigration Rally Draws Thousands 11/5/2009 WASHINGTON — Thousands of immigrants came to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a day of lobbying and an afternoon rally calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The event was timed to the unveiling of an immigration bill by Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. With President Obama’s stated commitment to immigration reform, advocates for immigrants said they hoped to revive a debate that has been overshadowed by other priorities, like the economy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As deportations continue to rise, immigration reform is needed now, they said, to allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal status and to stop families from being torn apart. “We need a bill that says if yo.... Click here to view entire article.     Atlanta Floods Extremely Rare 11/5/2009 The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning. “At some sites, the annual chance of a flood of this magnitude was so significantly less than 1 in 500 that, given the relatively short length of streamgaging records (well less than 100 years), the U.S. Geological Survey cannot accurately characterize the probability due to its extreme rarity," said Robert Holmes, USGS National Flood Program Coordinator. “Nationwide, given that our oldest streamgaging records span about 100 years, the USGS does not cite probabilities for floods that are beyond a 0.2 percent (500-year) flood.” “If a 0.2 percent (500-year) flood was a cup of .... Click here to view entire article.     Regional Green Industry Analysis 10/15/2009 The Green Industry Research Consortium polls nurseries and greenhouses every five years. Part I examines sales and employment. See how your region ranks. Click here to view entire article.     PLANET stays on top of EPA WaterSense legislation 10/15/2009 WASHINGTON — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET)'s Tom Delaney has provided the following update on a bill introduced by Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Ben Cardin (D-MD): Key Democratic senators have introduced long-awaited legislation authorizing EPA’s WaterSense program, which sets voluntary water efficiency standards, but the bill includes language that backs a controversial agency plan to limit turf grass in its upcoming first-time standard for new homes, for which many industry groups have been seeking congressional opposition. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and water subcommittee Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD) Sept. 24 introduced S. 1712, the Water Efficiency, Conservation & Adaptation Act of 2009. The bill provides $87.5 million over four years for EPA to improve and e.... Click here to view entire article.     California updates its water landscape ordinance 10/15/2009 California’s Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) has released an updated Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to assist local governments in reducing water waste in landscapes. A Landscape Task Force recommended changes to the original ordinance adopted in 1992. The result is the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 1881), which requires cities and counties, including charter cities, to adopt landscape water conservation ordinances by Jan. 1, 2010. Municipalities can adopt the ordinance rules or develop their own program. The ordinance addresses water budgets for landscapes, the prevention of excessive erosion and irrigation runoff, landscape and irrigation design requirements, the use of recycled water where available, irrigation audits and the scheduling of irriga.... Click here to view entire article.     Cobb County Named Water Sense Partner of the Year 10/15/2009 Promotional Partner – Large Utility In 2007 and 2008, the Southeast region’s worst drought in 150 years prompted Cobb County Water System to promote WaterSense and water efficiency to its 650,000 residents in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Cobb County implemented a toilet rebate program that discounted 1,650 WaterSense labeled toilets, inspiring other large utilities in the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District to adopt the county’s rebate model. And because everyone loves a good deal, Cobb County collaborated with other WaterSense retailer, manufacturer, and promotional partners (including fellow winners Kohler and Lowe’s) to promote the Georgia statewide sales tax holiday weekend in October 2008 for WaterSense labeled and ENERGY STAR qualified products. Coordinating clo.... Click here to view entire article.     Bayer Advanced Scholars Program: 10/14/2009 In challenging economic times, making an investment in your people and staff is an even more critical necessity: Bayer AdvancedTM is committed to partnering with Independent Garden Centers to not only deliver exceptionally formulated products that you can make a profit on, but also to help deliver world-class training to your team. The American Nursery & Landscape Association is proud to work in conjunction with Bayer AdvancedTM for the second year to deliver the BAYER ADVANCEDTM SCHOLARS program for the 2010 Management Clinic. 25 full scholarships ($550+ value) to the Management Clinic will be awarded. Scholarship package will include a full registration to the ANLA Management Clinic (Louisville KY, Jan 31 – Feb 3), a Muggets networking badge, and a private evening networking reception w.... Click here to view entire article.     Lake Lanier ruling has little impact on Augusta 10/14/2009 A federal judge's ruling that could halt metro Atlanta's access to Lake Lanier's drinking water will have little impact on the Augusta region, which depends heavily on the Savannah River. "We are operating under the premise that is has no effect and will have no effect," said Ron Cross, the chairman of the Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Council, a state committee studying future water needs in the 19-county east Georgia area. In July, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson declared Atlanta's withdrawals from Lake Lanier illegal because the lake was never authorized by Congress for water supply. Mr. Cross, who held a town hall meeting in Evans on Tuesday night to discuss water-planning objectives, said he has been assured that Thurmond Lake is not subject to the same sort of ruling. "The j.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier is inches shy of full pool with more rain expected today 10/14/2009 Recent rains have several area creeks bursting at the seams and Lake Lanier within inches of reaching full pool. Northeast Georgia was expected to receive between one-half to three-quarters of an inch of rain overnight, according to National Weather Service forecasters, with an additional inch or two likely today. As of 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, Lake Lanier was at 1,070.97 feet above sea level, just .06 feet away from its full pool of 1,071 feet. About two-thirds of an inch of rain fell overnight. That's on top of nearly four inches of rain Monday that increased the lake level by almost a foot. The lake hasn’t been at full pool since 2005 and reached its all-time low of 1,050.79 feet in December 2007. Like many other North Georgia areas, Hall and Jackson counties are unde.... Click here to view entire article.     Calling The Water War As I See It 10/14/2009 By Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) The new War Between the States, the Water War that is, comes down to one thing: economic opportunity. How can metropolitan areas around Georgia attract industry if we cannot guarantee that industry will have the water it needs to operate? And how can our rural areas produce agricultural commodities if we cannot irrigate our crops? We are all employed either directly or indirectly by one of these two economic sectors, and Georgia regularly competes with Alabama and Florida for the jobs that these areas provide. So when a Federal judge issues not one, but two back-to-back rulings against the State of Georgia, as U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson recently did, the people of Georgia deserve a forthright answer to two very simple questions: “How did this happe.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier flirts with 1,071 feet 10/13/2009