What kept you motivated this winter? The record temperature lows we saw this year greatly affected people nationwide, and may have even cancelled some of your business travel and meetings. As you know, the weather has an enormous effect on the work that you do and it's important to assess the positives and the negatives of each situation. Did this year's harsh winter help your business in any way, or were you left feeling unprepared? Planning ahead and having goals is an important part of business management and can help you be ready for any challenge. Now that spring is finally here with its longer days and warmer weather, I know you must dive right into your busy outdoor season. That's why I believe it's important to be prepared and knowledgeable about industry issues and pending legislation that could affect the great work you do.

Spring is a time of regrowth. Your work is vital to helping your customers' properties bloom and come to life again after such a grim and cold winter. That's why the products you use on a daily basis are essential to caring for your customers' needs. Right now, a proposed rule to expand the definition of "waters of the U.S." under the Clean Water Act could severely limit your access to these tools and restrict the areas where applications could be made. If this proposed rule were to pass, it would mean you would need to obtain permits to make applications near any waters, including man-made lakes in residential communities, golf-course ponds, and even small ditches at the end of properties and on the side of the road. Even if a customer had a small pond they built near where you are treating, you would need to acquire a permit because this would be a "water of the U.S." under Clean Water Act jurisdiction.

I expect activism around pollinators to grow as the warmer months move in, and several new states have introduced neonicotinoid-restricting bills since my last update in January. Legislation is now active in Alaska, California, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Oregon. Our hard work is bringing success and last month, Oregon HB 4139 was amended, removing language classifying certain compounds as restricted-use pesticides. The bill now aims to construct a pollinator health task force charged with studying pollinator health and how pesticides affect them. In early February, the Maine House Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee voted "ought not to pass" on its neonicotinoid-restricting bill, LD 1587.

Being prepared for this legislation is key. We are working diligently with policymakers to educate them about the importance of our industry, but your voice is paramount in making a difference. No one knows the work you're doing better than yourself, and these policymakers want to hear from you as a professional applicator about how your business helps keep communities safe from vector diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease. We have helpful issue-focused resources for members and our grassroots network, so if you're not a member of our network yet you can sign up at www.pestfacts.org/grassroots. Getting engaged will help you learn more, and through our issue alerts you'll be prepared when it's time to step up and talk about the benefits of your business.