President's Message

By Pete DeBrusk

January 2013:

It has probably become apparent to anybody who reads the President’s Notes that I often struggle to come up with a new topic to write about each month. At the advice of a friend I have avoided talking about religion, politics, and Lance Armstrong. (So far, anyway.) But, this month I will attempt to let you know some of the things going on with NHLA and also let you know about a valuable seminar that NHLA is sponsoring.

NHLA and the Landscape Management Network are putting on an estimating and planning seminar on January 24-25 in Warner, NH. We had planned to hold the seminar in November but Hurricane Sandy came along and we postponed in the event that NHLA members would have additional tree work and clean ups associated with the storm. You can sign up for the seminar through our website. There is also an excellent description and video at the Landscape Management Network site, accessible through our event listing. This is a great price for an outstanding seminar, and I encourage everyone to look into it.

We also have our Joint Winter Meeting scheduled for January 16 at the Grappone Center in Concord with a full day of talks scheduled. The education committee has again put together a great line up, and I am hoping to see you all there. You can always find out about upcoming events on our calendar.

One of the things that the Board of Directors has been discussing is the possibility of having NHLA join the American Landscape and Nursery Association’s Lighthouse Program. The Lighthouse Program is the part of ALNA that keeps an eye on the political side of our industry. The bottom line is that it would cost each member of NHLA $10 per year, meaning that our annual dues would go up by $10. In return, what we as a group and each member would get is representation for our industry in Washington, DC. If we join the Lighthouse program each member of NHLA can log on to their website with a password and get updates on issues like changes to immigration law, labor, pesticide law changes, invasive species, and all of the other political and legal issues that influence our industry. I think that all of the members should be able to voice their opinion about joining the Lighthouse Program before the board takes any action.

As a member of NHLA you can have your voice heard in several different ways: you can write a letter or an article in the Newsletter, you can call or email one of the board members, or you can attend the January meeting and join in the discussion publicly or see one of us privately. Most of us will be there and we are more than happy to hear your opinions. You can also find out more about the Lighthouse Program at www.anla.org and click on the government relations button.

Please attend, ask questions, and let us know what you think!