2016 in the Books 2017 in the Works - TVMA

THE CLIPVolume 15, Issue 1

January, 2017

Texas Vegetation Management Association

TVMA Clip January 2017, Page 1

CONTENTS

2017 Conference 1Presidential Update 2Executive Director’s Comments 2 Sponsors 3 ScholarshipWinners 3Lifetime Achievement Award 4 Vegetation Mgmt Conference InsertN P D S 5 Sponsors 6TVMA Leadership 7 Calendar 8

2016 in the Books 2017 in the Works

TVMA hopes everyone had a magnificent Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Neither rain nor tent could put too much of a damper on the 2016 conference. The rains forced moving the golf tournament and made getting to the tent difficult, but when TVMA returns to Horseshoe Bay October 9-11, 2017, the association has been guar-anteed play at the Slick Rock course on Monday unless it floods. Also conference events will be held inside the hotel ballrooms including sponsor booths and meals without chicken. The room rate will not increase, but we want to increase participation in the putt putt tournament with an outside reception in the area surrounding the 18 hole putt putt course. You do not have to play to enjoy the reception which will be held inside if it rains. Enjoy the putt putt course while contributing to scholarship. There will be NO TENT.

We had great speakers and networking was certainly available, so put the dates on your calendar for next year! We listened to at-tendee comments and will give Horseshoe Bay another visit with suggestions for improvement implemented. TVMA cannot thank everyone enough for the patience with adjustments. Save the date in October.

The Texas Vegetation Management Association thanks all the sponsors listed below and on page 3 for making the conference pos-sible and all the attendees for their participation. If you need CEUs in a state from which we did not get reciprocity, please contact the TVMA office and let us know which other states we need to contact to create a one-stop setting in which you can get all your CEUs.

Alligare

Bayer CropScience

Chemical Weed Control, Inc.

CPS Timberland Division

Davey

Monsanto

Red River Specialties, Inc.

Trees, Inc.

Platinum Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsors:

Dow AgroSciences

LCRA

WinField

Helena Chemical Co.

Wright Tree Service, Inc.

Bandit of Texas

Brandt

Chemical Containers, Inc.

Lewis Tree ServiceSponsors Continued on Page 3

TVMA ClipOfficial Publication

of theTexas Vegetation Management

Association

Vol. 15, Num. 1 -- January 2017

The TVMA Clip is published by Kay Dippel, Editor

CHB Consulting, Inc.145 West Travis

La Grange, TX 78945979-968-5612

FAX 979-968-5624E-mail: [email protected]

TVMA Clip January 2017 Page 2

Presidential UpdateTVMA Mission

Statement

To promote and support the vegetation management indus-

try in Texas through profes-sional development, continuing education and training, sound

environmental stewardship, and academic scholarship for its

members and the public; to as-sist and cooperate with legisla-tive and regulatory agencies.

Executive Director’s CommentsReady for the New Year?

It will be interesting to see what Federal changes may take place with new leadership. We have already heard rumblings of stopping EPA and the Core of Army Engineers from going forward with the Waters of the US Rules. During the current ad-ministration, the U.S. House of Representatives have passed legislation three times to eliminate the NPDA rules pertaining to applying pesticides in or near water only to see die in senate twice and passed the third time to have the president veto the legislation. We can only hope the new administration will be able to take it all the way this session.

The Texas Legislative session began this month and there are already over 1000 bills filed. At this moment none directly affect the VM Industry, but there will be a bill filed that will help get rid of unwanted pesticides and pesticide containers. There have been rumblings that the Grape Growers Association might be advocating a bill against herbicide uses that they claim are hurting their plants. Most likely 6000 bills will be filed this session so please let the TVMA office know if any affect the VM industry so they can be watched and addressed. With 6000 to be watched, we need your eyes and ears open to topics that may arise.

Again, have a great New Year! Donnie Dippel, TVMA Executive Director

As I make my first address to the members of TVMA, I want everyone to know I am hon-ored to serve as your president for the next twelve months. The annual conference was held at Horseshoe Bay near Marble Falls, TX, with much success. We had 165 members attend along with 32 vendors displaying their products, services and equipment. I want to extend a very special “thank you” to all members and vendors who made our confer-ence such a success. With positive feedback from the membership, along with Horseshoe Bay resort reaching out for TVMA to return in 2017, the annual conference will be held at Horseshoe Bay Resort on October 9-11, 2017. Please mark your calendars and plan to at-tend the conference.

As we move forward in 2017, remember, membership is the lifeblood of our organization, and I challenge all members to familiarized yourself with the web site and strive to enroll new members into our organization. The General Membership is $25 per year and can be paid on line at www.tvma.net or by mailing a check to TVMA.

Speaking of our website, it is currently being completely remodeled. We thank you for your patience during this time.

I feel this is a time to familiarize everyone with the mission of TVMA: To promote and sup-port the vegetation management industry in Texas through professional development, con-tinuing education and training, sound environmental stewardship and academic scholar-ship for its members and the public, and to assist with legislative and regulatory agencies.

In closing remember the Texas Vegetation Management Association offers a broad network of resources and support to help you in your business needs. Let’s continue to promote the TVMA to all your contacts and let’s strive to bring in new members and grow the orga-nization. We hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards,

Myron J. Rabalais

President-TVMA


Scholarships AwardedWith scholarship as a primary focus of the Texas Vegetation Management Association, four generous two thousand dollar schol-arships were again awarded. The scholarship committee was impressed with the quality of all applicants and encourages those who did not receive a scholarship to reapply by April first. We also need applicants applying for the first time to complete ap-plication submissions by April 3rd. For an application contact the TVMA office or go online to tvma.net.

Those receiving scholarship in 2016 were Reilly Hale, J. R. Erwin, Taylor Parker and Blaine Strnadel. A follow up article is planned as they progress in achieving their goals to give them more recognition and highlight why scholarship should remain a focus of The Texas Vegetation Management Association.

Farmers Electric Coop

Garland Power & Light

ABC Professional Tree Service Inc.

ACRT

Clearion

Environmental Consultants, Inc.

ECO-PAK

EDKO, LLC.

Farmers Electric Coop

Garrco Products

Bronze Sponsors:

Golf Prize Sponsors

ABC Professional Tree CHB Consulting

Chemical Weed ControlFarmers Electric Coop

HelenaWinField

Golf Lunch SponsorMONSANTO

Board Shirts

Dow AgroSciences - Oracio Molina and Ronda Roberts

Hardin Tree

National Tree Expert Co

Nelson Tree Service, Inc.

Scholarship Sponsors

ISA

National Tree Expert Co.

Nelson Tree Service

Nufarm America’s Inc.

Progressive Solutions LLC

Solutions

SSI Maxim

Superior Forestry Service


TVMA Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016Each year TVMA recognizes a member who has an amazing career contributing to the vegetation management industry beyond compare. This year’s TVMA Lifetime Achievement Award went to David Wall.

David was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico while his parents attended New Mexico State University. He grew up in the Dallas and Austin areas while his father worked for Texas Instruments. David got interested in forestry as his family visited relatives in southern New Mexico. David attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacog-doches, Texas and graduated with a degree in Forest Management in 1977.

After graduation, David was hired by Houston Lighting and Power Company and worked there for 16 years. David then worked for Pacific Power & Light in Portland, Oregon for 5 years where he started their vegetation management program. In 1998, David returned to Texas to work for Xcel Energy. He is based in Amarillo and currently manages the substation, transmission, and distribution vegetation management programs for parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. He also manages the transmission wildfire protection program and hazard tree program for Xcel Energy in Colorado.

David’s service to the TVMA include the following: Served as President, served as Vice President twice, served on the Board of Directors, served on several TVMA committees, and is a Charter Member of TVMA. David was instrumental in starting the Regional Lubbock CEU program and establishing the TVMA Lifetime Achievement Award when as President, he presented the award for the first time.

David and his wife Sandy have been married for 40 years and have three children and three grandchildren.

Congratulations to David Wall as the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient.


NPDSContributed by Mike Standish

The 2016 Pesticide General Permit (PGP), took effect October 31, 2016. The new National Pollutant Discharge Elimi-nation System (NPDES) permit replaces the 2011 PGP that expired at midnight on October 31. The 2011 permit was issued in response to National Cotton Council of America. v. EPA, in which the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPA’s 2006 Final Rule on Aquatic Pesticides. Like the 2011 PGP, the 2016 permit only applies the areas below where EPA is the recognized permitting authorization. For all but the following areas, the state is the recognized permit authority:• Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Washington D.C.;• All U.S. territories except the Virgin Islands; • Activities associated with oil, gas, or geothermal resources in Texas;• Federal facilities in Delaware, Vermont, Colorado, and Washington; and• All Indian Country except in Maine.The 2016 PGP conditions are the same as the 2011 permit requirements with two notable exceptions:• The 2016 permit requires electronic reporting; and• The 2016 permit updates Endangered Species Act definitions and procedures. Under the 2016 PGP, pesticide decision-makers must use the e-NOI system to submit a notice of intent (NOI), Annual Report, or Notice of Termination (NOT) for pesticide discharges. The electronic reporting system applies only for cov-ered pesticide applications that occur in a geographic area where EPA is the permitting authority.

Decision-makers who are required to submit an NOI must begin submitting new NOIs by January 12, 2017 to obtain coverage under the 2016 PGP. Applicators/operators may continue to apply covered pesticides through January 12, 2017 without submitting an NOI, but must comply with all permit conditions.In addition, the 2016 PGP updates the definition of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Listed Resources of Concern to include additional species as a result of consultation between EPA and NMFS, as required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Coverage under this permit is available only for pesticide applications that are not likely to adversely affect species listed as “endangered” or “threatened” or designated critical habitat, except for certain cases specified in the permit involving prior consultation with the NMFS, and for Declared Pest Emergency Situations. These NMFS Listed Resources of Concern for the PGP are identified in detail on EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/npdes/pesticide-permitting-ESA-procedures. Other requirements that address protection of listed species include the waiting periods between submission of an NOI and authorization to apply a pesticide, and specific permit conditions requiring compliance with the results of any ESA Section 7 consultation with the Services, or ESA Section 10 permit issued by the Services.

The permit applies to application of biological and chemical pesticides to Waters of the United State that have the fol-lowing use patterns:• Mosquito and Other Flying Insect Pest Control - to control public health/nuisance and other flying insect pests that develop or are present during a portion of their life cycle in or above standing or flowing water. Public health/nui-sance and other flying insect pests in this use category include mosquitoes and black flies. • Weed and Algae Pest Control - to control weeds, algae, and pathogens that are pests in water and at water’s edge, including ditches and/or canals.• Animal Pest Control - to control animal pests in water and at water’s edge. Animal pests in this use category include fish, lampreys, insects, mollusks, and pathogens. • Forest Canopy Pest Control – application of a pesticide to a forest canopy to control the population of a pest species (e.g., insect or pathogen) where, to target the pests effectively, a portion of the pesticide unavoidably will be ap-plied over and deposited to water.


PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

TVMA wishes to extend our THANK YOU to the following individuals and companies who went ABOVE AND BEYOND in their support of TVMA in 2016!

2016 TVMA Sponsors

1430 O’DAY ROAD • PEARLAND, TX 77581 • 1-800-243-6008

TVMA Leadership

Board of DirectorsVernon Langston314 N Maple CircleThe Woodlands, TX 77382 [email protected]

Michael HaleFarmers Electric Coop.2000 IH-30Greenville, TX 75403 903-453-0591 [email protected]

Oracio MolinaDow AgroSciences6009 Arbor Ridge Apt 2118Fort Worth, TX 76132682-308-7460

Cary Parrott Red River Specialties 12570 St. Hwy 64WTyler, TX 75704 [email protected]

Logan Barton - TxDOT150 E. Riverside Dr.Austin, TX [email protected] Eric Boutwell Progressive Solutions805 Decatur St.Newton, MS [email protected]

Rhonda RobertsDow AgroSciences1820 Fairweather Dr. Princeton, TX [email protected]

Nick CanalesTNMP702 36th St. N.Texas City, TX [email protected]

Mike Standish CPS Timberland Division990 CR 339 Georgetown, TX [email protected]

Adam WrightFort Bend County1022 Blume RdRosenberg, TX [email protected]

Standing Committee Chairs

ProgramsAmanda Sexton

ScholarshipMike Standish

LegislativeCHB Consulting, Inc.

Nomination Chris Smith

Past PresidentChris Pritchett

Dow AgroSciences 5789 Pebblebrooke RdWhitestown, IN 46075 Phone 361-944-7212 [email protected]


Vice -President Amanda Sexton

Chemical Weed Control PO Box 268

Hamilton, TX 76531325-315-2086

[email protected]

Secretary/Treasurer Kedrick Bryant

Center Point EnergyPO Box 1700

Houston, TX 77251 713-945-8904

[email protected]

President Myron Rabalais

Bayer21839 Blossombrook Lane

Katy, TX 77450281-881-5567

[email protected]

TVMA145 West Travis

La Grange, TX 78945

Address Service Requested

PRESORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID LA GRANGE, TX PERMIT NO. 26

VM Industry Calendar of Events

January 19 & 20, 201747th Annual Vegetation Management Conference

19th Bear Creek Auditorium 20th Baytown Community Center

February 23rdTVMA Board Meeting

La Grange

October 9th - 11th TVMA Annual Conference

Horseshoe Bay, TX

Documents

2016 in the Books 2017 in the Works - TVMA