January/February 2016 Volume 40, Number 1

Follow us on Instagram @pgms_ and use #pgms2016 to tag your PGMS moments.Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProfessionalGroundsManagementSociety.

Link up with us at www.linkedin.com/groups/Professional-Grounds-Management-Society-4173565.Watch us on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/PGMSheadquarters.

PGMS Preview: A Budding Year AheadPGMS is looking forward to a productive and educational year ahead with exciting events planned. First up

is the North Carolina Branch Outreach Project on Feb. 20 at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Winston-Salem, N.C. (see page 10 for details). PGMS has a phenomenal lineup of tours and education programs for the

School of Grounds Management and Summer Conference taking place June 6-7 in San Antonio, Texas (see page three for a preview). The always exciting School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO will be held

Oct. 19-22 in Louisville, Ky. PGMS branches will also be hosting local events all throughout the year. Be sure to check pgms.org often for updated event details!

Odd Fellows Cemetery - NC Branch Project

The Alamo - School of Grounds Management and Summer Conference

The Forum Newsletter is published six times a year by theProfessional Grounds Management Society

720 Light StreetBaltimore, MD 21230

410-223-2861 / Fax 410-752-8295E-mail: pgms@assnhqtrs.com

pgms.org

Board of Directors:President John Doiron

President-Elect Marion Bolick, CGMVice Pres. Gerald M. Landby

Secretary/Treasurer Jeff McManus, CGMPast President John Burns, CGM

Directors Cary Avery, CGM

Diana BrambleBruce De Vrou, CGMGerry Dobbs, CGMTed Heywood, CGMJoe Kovolyan, CGM

Jared Rudy, CGMCorey Ruff

Susanne Woodell, CGM

Supplier Member RepPaula Sliefert

StaffThomas C. ShanerExecutive Director

Stephanie DoddAssociate Director

Monica ShanerFinancial Manager

Justine HarperDirector of Communications

Molly Baldwin-AbbottPublications Coordinator

Opinions expressed in PGMS Forum are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily express the opinions or policies of the PGMS Board and its membership. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

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John DoironPGMS President

What A Difference A Year Makes!

Last year at this time, folks in the Northeast had well over a foot and half of snow. Most of us lost power on Thanksgiving due to a heavy wet snow that had

taken down trees and power lines. Over 30,000 people had their Thanksgiving meal somewhere else or not at all. This year in the month of December we are still playing golf and it looks like that might be the case until Christmas. For those of you that might know me, I am one of those golfers still out there.

The other big change from a year ago is the price of fuel. When I look at my monthly fuel bill for the fleet here at Concord Hospital, it’s amazing to see the difference at the total cost. It has really helped contractors, supplies and home owners as well.

The PGMS Executive Board has been working at making changes to the new member package that members receive when joining the organization. With the input from our staff at headquarters, Tom Shaner and Stephanie Dodd, we will be sending out a couple of new items in the member package. Just in time for our member-get-a-member campaign that is going on right now.

In November I was fortunate to attend two branch meetings that were very well attended and very informative. The first meeting was held at New York University for the New York/New Jersey branch and presentations were done on the Sacred Trees at the 911 memorial. After lunch we made our way down to the Memorial to see the trees discussed in the presentation as well as the waterfalls at Ground Zero. Special thanks go out to Frank Molina and George Reis for putting a great day together. The picture above is of myself and Frank at the Memorial.

The second meeting that myself and my staff attended was at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. for the Northeast Branch. Ted Heywood, CGM and Brendon Connor hosted the meeting with a great speaker on growth regulators with demonstrations on brine and vortex equipment that followed. It was great to see our PGMS Branches active and networking with new members. I would encourage PGMS member to get involved with your local branch and stay active.

Gratefully submitted by your 94th President,

John DoironPresident’s Message

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Calendar of EventsFebruary 23-25, 2016

"Come to the Bay" EventVirginia Beach Resort Hotel

Virginia Beach, VA

March 22-24, 2016National Facilities Management and Technology

Conference & ExpositionThe Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore, MD

June 6-7, 2016School of Grounds Management & Summer Conference

San Antonio, TX

October 19-22, 20162016 PGMS School of Grounds Management &

GIE+EXPOGalt House Hotel

Louisville, KY

Visit pgms.org/calendar-of-events for complete event details.

The 2016 PGMS School of Grounds Management & Summer Conference will be taking place June 6-7 in San Antonio, Texas.

What’s on the Agenda?

• Tour of Trinity University

• Visit to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens

• Tour of the Alamo

• Downtown Riverwalk tour

• Hemisphere Park tour

• Reception to network with fellow professionals

Stay tuned to the PGMS website for more details to be posted in the coming months.

Mark Your Calendar: 2016 School of Grounds Management and Summer Conference

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Over the last few years PGMS has increased membership as well as the number of dynamic industry vendors who are supporting us as Elite Partners in Professionalism. One of the ways PGMS has accomplished this is thanks in part to the help of many of YOU who participated in the “Member-Get-A-Member” Campaigns!

Recruiting a new member not only helps to grow the association and establish a better foundation for professionals in the green industry… it also makes you eligible to win some great prizes such as:

• EB600RT Backpack Blower (sponsored by ECHO)• 24″ Rolled Rim Planter (sponsored by EarthPlanter)• $100 bill (10 to be awarded)• All-expense paid trip to the 2016 PGMS School of Grounds Management and GIE+EXPO (airfare, 3 nights hotel and tuition)• All-expense paid trip to the PGMS 2016 Summer Education Conference (airfare, 2 nights hotel and tuition)• Complimentary PGMS membership for 2017• Possible additional prizes to come!

Why Participate...Because it’s Easy!It’s easy to participate. Just sponsor a new active member. For every member you sponsor, your name goes into the contest. The more new members you sponsor, the more often you have a chance to win. To make sure we give you credit when you recruit a new member(s), simply ask the member you recruit to

download the application form at http://pgms.org/, print it, write your name on the form as his/her sponsor and fax, scan and e-mail or mail it to PGMS at pgms@assnhqtrs.com.

Need a Little Motivation? As an incentive to help attract new members, PGMS will lower first year dues for every new member you recruit to only $100. (Note: this special 1st year membership fee is only for members recruited by another PGMS member and it does not include any branch dues.)

Help grow your association by recruiting just one new member - remember, the more new members you recruit, the more often you have a chance of winning one of our great prizes. The more members we have,

the more we can grow PGMS and our profession!

Questions? Contact Stephanie Dodd at stephaniedodd@assnhqtrs.com or 410-223-2861.

The deadline to recruit new members is Tuesday, March 31, 2016.

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PGMS Welcomes Our Newest Members! New members since November 12, 2015

Mike BeaulieuCentral Oregon Community College

Eric BonninBecker College

Jim CarseUniversity of Texas at Austin

Neil CatheySSC Services for Education

Jonathan CavazosTexas A&M University

Mark CollinsChase Collegiate

Abbey DrautTexas A&M University

Nick EnsignCornell University

Michael FlynnStevens Institute Of Technology

Roger HouchinsSSC Services Commerce

Timothy JacksonDidlake, Inc.

Stephen JohnsonTexas A&M University/SSC Serv

Wade JosephUniversity of Wisconsin Superior

Ben KleiningKilgore College

Jason LorimerVirginia Episcopal

Bret MartinTarleton State University

Kevin McGrawCornell University

Bill NagelStevens Institute Of Technology

Brett NievesCornell University

Nathan O’NealCrawford School Corporation

Jim ParkerParker University/SSC

Bradley PointonTexas A&M Corpus Christi

Tammy RomingerCity of Davis

Bill SiersmaGrand Valley State University

Chuck SmithSpringfield Park District

Jude SmithCross Keys Village - The Brethren Home

Community

Jay StadlerCarleton College

Justin SuttonAuburn University

Taylor TateTexas A&M University/SSC Serv

Duane ThompsonLyndon Institute

Dave WagnerTexas A&M San Antonio

James YoungMuscogee County Schools/SSC Serv

Know someone who isn’t a member? Help grow your profession and

spread the word about joining PGMS! Membership details can always be

found on the PGMS website at www.pgms.org.

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The 2015 California Spring Trials (CAST) highlighted groundbreaking plant genetics and showcased breeders marketing prowess. Several trends in colors, themes and crops become apparent based on all the new introductions highlighted at the CAST. The 2016 California Spring Trials will be held from Saturday, April 9 through Thursday, April 14. Details at www.horticultureevents.com/CAST.

ColorsOrange - Whether in petunias, begonias, nemesia or coleus, orange seemed to be the signature color of 2015. In addition to inspiring adventure, communication, warmth and happiness, blooms in bright colors like orange are highly attractive to pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Marsala - Pantone’s 2015 color of the year was emulated in combinations, potted plants and more. Breeders are tuned in to this hot color, and ready to offer growers and retailers many new selections.

Citron - Bright chartreuse provided an almost shocking pop of color in some landscapes, like ‘Lemon Coral’ sedum at Proven Winners, and in combos, like pelargonium ‘Caroline’s Citrine’ from Cultivaris.

Yellow - What’s happier than yellow? The color is uplifting and illuminating, inspiring original thought and inquisitiveness. ‘Nonstop Joy Yellow’ and ‘Champagne Yellow’ begonias, helianthus ‘Double Whammy’ and new yellows in Easy Wave and Shock Wave petunias are just a few of our yellow-hued faves.

ThemesDrought-Tolerant - There was no denying that drought was top of mind at most breeder locations, especially considering the devastating drought on location in California. We passed over many a dried up river during Spring Trials. Turn to page 80 to see some of the newest drought-tolerant varieties on the market.

Pollinator-Attracting - Concern over pollinator health is another

resounding theme, and bees and hummingbirds were loving all the new introductions. Some of their favorites included bidens (Suntory), digitalis (Cultivaris and Darwin), lavender (Kieft), salvia (Green Fuse) and more.

CropsAnnuals - It seemed everywhere we looked, someone had a new marigold series. From large, pom-pom African types to French marigolds to your standard seed varieties, new intros abounded including Hot Pak (Ball), Proud Mari (Sakata), Chica (Hem Genetics) and Savannah (Thompson & Morgan). Bidens was another big crop this year. These bright, cheery flowers do their best work in combos. BeeDance (Suntory Flowers), ‘Campfire Fireburst’ (Proven Winners) and ‘Gold Jingle’ (Danziger) were some highlights.

Perennials - Perovskia was prevalent this year, with introductions like ‘Caspian Blue’ (Green Fuse Botanicals) and ‘Denim ‘N Lace’ (Proven Winners Perennials). Russian sage is a staple in the landscape and these new varieties are improved selections that will be easier for growers to produce.

Combos - Everyone has combos now, in vegetative and seed selections for annuals, as well as perennials. New combination offerings include Syngenta’s new SeedSations and custom mixes that allow growers to use both vegetative and seed inputs to grow, as well as its Kwik Kombos. Ball’s offerings include MixMasters from Ball FloraPlant and Trixi from Selecta. Green Fuse is offering its Programmable Perennials, and of course, Dümmen Orange, the originator of the multi- liner combo, has 29 new Confetti Gardens including experimentals and make-your-own.

Edibles - Once thought of as a trend, edibles have been so strong over the last few years that it’s clear this category will only continue to grow. Some standouts include ‘Masterpiece’ pea (Burpee), ‘Ruby Ann’ strawberry (ABZ Seeds) and ‘Ketchup & Fries’ (Thompson & Morgan).

Source: www.greenhousegrower.com

Color And Crop Trends From

By Laura Drotleff, www.greenhousegrower.com

2015 California Spring Trials

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Snow Removal Process Improvements with Liquid Brine and Salt Reduction By Jim Holm, Manager of Grounds & Site Services for Park Nicollet

Park Nicollet is passionate about innovation, partnership and making things better for patients, employees and properties. That is why we are working proactively to make improvements in snow removal at our sites. Our real estate consists of some 25 clinics, scattered sites and a hospital with millions of square feet of multi-level parking ramps, sidewalks, drives and surface lots. Snow removal for our large organization is a huge cost. We are utilizing industry leading standards, principles and techniques to maintain safety and reduce costs.

As an organization, our goal is to reduce our overall salt usage by 10% this snow season, while keeping our sites entries and sidewalks safe. By improving our processes, we achieved a 45% reduction in salt usage last year. The improvement ideas have been generated thru Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) best practices and through partnership with our snow consultant Charles Glossop who has 30 years of experience. Our snow removal contractor is a key partner and eager to make things better.

We started using liquid brine in the winter of 2013-14, to enhance our snow services for our facilities. Pre-treating with liquid brine helps break the bond between snow and ice and the pavement making it much easier to plow clean. We have fine-tuned our program in the past two years by understanding pavement temperatures, calibrating equipment, staff training and proactive pre-treatment prior to a snow event. We have determined that pre-wetting with liquid brine enabled us to use less post application salt. This is substantially reducing the damage to our landscape. Due to our salt reduction improvements, we are greener and more sustainable. The success of our program is stirring interest with our sustainability teams.

We have found that pre-treatments with liquids on sidewalks have produced great results. For a 3.5" snow event on Dec. 1, 2015, we successfully power broomed snow off of walks and then used no granular salt at our main hospital campus sidewalks. The use of power brooms on our sidewalks has helped keep them clean and safe, requiring less treatment.

Our liquid brine program allows us to set high standards for snow removal at all of our properties. We have mandated our contractor to upgrade equipment for not only pre-treatments for walks and drive lanes, but also 100% of surface areas on ramps. Our contractor has installed pre-wet systems for all post applications, achieving salting rates of approximately 150 lbs./acre. Charles Glossop trained our contractor in calibration of equipment, pavement temps, record keeping, and provides

on-going site visits. We are measuring our salt and brine applications per event and overall.

We have switched to using liquid brine at all of our non-heated entries. At all of our building entrances, we

are providing hand sprayers with liquid brine for emergency salting to reduce the previous over salting done with granular salt. This reduces tracking of salt into the buildings.

Our Liquid Brine and Salt Reduction training is on-going with the following teams: vendor, security,

valet, engineers, clinic managers, supervisors and maintenance. The training consists of

discussing benefits, calibration and a field demonstration.

Pre-treatments with liquid brine allows us to be out front 2-3 days prior to a snow

event. The benefits include: done at night in a down time, product works as soon as

snow event starts, proactive, not reactive, greater efficiency in plowing, reduction of post application

salt. The use of liquids not only reduces our overall costs, but reduces granular

salt. Our snow removal and de-icing process improvements and partnership are making things better for patients, employees and properties and reducing the salt impact on the environment.

DefinitionsAnti-icing/Pre-treatment - a liquid application prior

to a snow/ice event. Liquid brine - 23.3% salt solution. Pre-wetting - liquid brine applied to a granular salt at time of application at the spreader.

We customize each application and blend to each event and the event conditions. Pre-treating with

liquid brine is essential. This includes: sidewalks, entries, roadways, drives, parking lots, ramps, bridges and parking decks.

Pretreating parameters with liquid

Pavement Temps Brine Mix15F-32F 23.3% brine5F-14F 23.3% brine and 20% calcium4F to -20F 23.3% brine and 30% calcium

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For the third year in a row the PGMS North Carolina Branch is hosting an outreach project at the Odd Fellows Cemetery, a landmark in Winston-Salem, N.C. that has fallen in to disrepair. PGMS is taking a systematic approach to brush removal and prevention to bring the cemetery back to a manageable state. To view photos from last year’s event visit PGMS’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Professional-GroundsManagementSociety.

Here are the main details of the event:

When: February 20, 2016 (Rain date is the following Saturday, February 27, 2016)

Time: The event will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. or once the project is completed, whichever comes first. Lunch will be provided.

Where: The Cemetery is located at 2881 Shorefair Drive, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27105. Visit http://pgms.org/ncbranchproject/ to see a map for directions. Parking is available in the large parking lot directly west of the Cemetery. PGMS thanks Village Tavern for providing lunch for this event yet again.

What to expect: Volunteers will be doing a variety of tasks including: picking up litter, removing and loading brush and wood, using wheel barrows, shoveling, raking, sowing grass, spreading straw and removing English Ivy from the base of trees. There will be work from light to heavy to accommodate most strength and skill levels. However, the terrain is uneven with tripping hazards, brush and debris. Those wishing to participate should take this into account. Jeans or heavy work pants, long sleeved shirt, work gloves and boots (if you have them) would be appropriate attire. As February weather in North Carolina can be quite fickle, volunteers are encouraged to dress accordingly. Due

to the heavy equipment that will be in use and the nature of the site we ask that those under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Volunteers are needed for this project!If you would like to volunteer please e-mail Chairman David Davis, CGM at davis@wfu.edu. Please put in the subject line in capital letters "I want to volunteer for the Odd Fellows project."

Partners Are Needed: If you are interested in joining this project as a partner or if you would like to send a donation, please e-mail David Davis,

CGM at davis@wfu.edu. Please put in the subject line in capital letters "I want to partner for the Odd Fellows project."

Thank’s to our past sponsors: Allman Spry Davis Leggett & Crumpler, P.A., Arnold’s Landscaping, Carolina Disposal Service Inc., Carolyn Albright Photography, Cutting Edge, Ellen Basset, Frank L. Blum Construction Company, Gempler’s, G L Hutchens Sand & Stone, Hauser Rental Service, The Home Depot, Keep Winston Salem Beautiful,

Larmore Landscape Associates, LTD Farm and Garden & Clemmons Milling, Lusk Tree Service, Mid-South Irrigation, Mirimichi Green Express, NetUnlimited Cabling Solutions

LLC, PGMS NC Branch, Piedmont Rent-A-Jon, Pine Hall Brick, Reynolda Nursery & Landscaping Supplies, Riverside Farm and Garden Supply, Shouse Nursery, Sunbelt Rentals, Tommy’s Stump Removal, Village Tavern, Wake Forest University Athletic Department, Wake Forest University Volunteer Service Corps, Wake Forest

University Sustainability Department, Winston Salem State University Volunteer Service Corps.

PGMS North Carolina Branch Needs Volunteers for Outreach Project

What’s Growing On With...the North Carolina Branch?

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PGMS Blog Needs Submissions!The PGMS blog is a resource for members to increase their knowledge base of grounds management. PGMS members are the experts in your industry, why not share your knowledge with your peers?

Need some suggestions on topics to write about? PGMS has a few to get your head spinning with ideas: snow removal, recycling practices, alternative ways of lawn care, natural turf vs. artificial turf, water conservation, staff benefits/education, budgets, what does sustainability mean to you, sustainable practices you use and why, environmental challenges, safety in the workplace, pesticides, and tips you have received from other landscape professionals.

So, we have started you off on the right foot, it’s your turn to grab a hold of the topic, write up an article (it doesn’t have to be long) and submit it. Please e-mail it to pgms@assnhqtrs.com and in the subject line include "PGMS Blog Topic."

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Donna is the Director of Grounds and Landscape at the Masonic Homes of Kentucky (MHKY).

Marion: Donna, can you tell me a little information on your background and what brought you into the green industry? Donna: I have been in the lawn, garden, and landscape Green Industry for 30 years in various aspects. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Art, with a concentration in commercial art and a Minor in Horticulture from Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky. It was very hard to find a job just out of college in the Commercial art field due to everything switching over to computerized work. The training had not kept up with fast-paced, outside technology. I was very glad to have my horticulture training to fall back on. My first job out of college was being a florist for a very small Garden center/landscape firm in Goshen, Ky. The owner was a great teacher and shared his love for the business. Over the years, I’ve done my stint in retail garden centers from small Mom and Pops to "Big Box" stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. I have even been on a panel of a local Home Improvement radio show where I answered all the call-in Lawn and gardening questions. Due to my background in art I felt that I had a heightened awareness of color and texture of plants in the Landscape, which made me a good landscape designer. I have gravitated towards large scale landscape management from The Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tennessee to Account management of Large Shopping centers, HOA subdivision developments, and private large scale estates in the Louisville, metro area. All of this has prepared me for coming home to Masonic Homes of Kentucky.

Marion: What is your position and responsibilities at Masonic Homes of Kentucky.Donna: I am Director of Grounds and Landscape, responsible for all aspects of grounds maintenance to our 82 acre Historical campus. MHKY was designed and built around the master plan of The Olmsted Brothers (Yes-THE Olmsted Bros. from Brookline, Ny.) in 1925. We started as a widows and orphans home for Masons lost in war, and are now a leader in senior living. We provide a full range of lifestyles and services for independent living, assisted living, and memory care, to personal and skilled care. We have everything from the old historical buildings and trees-to new, state-of-the art construction of new buildings. We even have The National Champion Slippery-Red Elm tree.My crew of six full-time persons, myself, and a few seasonal employees in summer perform everything from mowing, chemical applications to turf and landscape, shrub and tree care, irrigation, outdoor lighting, new landscape installation and renovations to older buildings to snow and ice removal, leaf removal, aquatics, wildlife management, trash, community gardens program for residents….just to name a few!

I also help to manage the grounds of our other properties in Shelbyville, Ky. (about 30 minutes east of Louisville) and Taylor Mill, Ky. which is located in Northern, Kentucky towards Cincinnati.

New Member Profile: Donna HibbsBy: Marion Bolick, CGM, PGMS president-elect

Marion: Since you are new to PGMS, how did you find out about us? Donna: At the PGMS booth during the 2013 GIE+EXPO here in Louisville. I was so glad to discover a professional organization geared just for the Grounds Maintenance side of the business.

Marion: Are you interested in the certification or the Green Star Award programs that PGMS offers? Donna: Yes, definitely. I think our campus would be a great example ready for certification.

Marion: What do you like to do in you spare time? Donna: Horseback ride-trail ride and camp, extreme Off-road 4x4 rock crawler/bouncers, anything water-boating, fishing, swimming lake-beach and of course my first love, art. I paint, draw, and teach.

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Roger is the Superintendent Sr. at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

Marion: Roger, how long have you been a member and what attracted you about PGMS?Roger: Wow, let’s see, I believe it was 2001 when I joined PGMS. I joined initially as a Green Star applicant. I earned my first Honor Award for UVA Medical Center. The following year, I won my first Grand Award and received my CGM pin. I remained a member because of the people. Amanda from the D.C. Branch, Len Morrow from Richmond, and Joe Jackson, CGM from Duke all took me in and told me about PGMS and the great people. I continued to attend the School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO in the Fall and meet people that I hope I encouraged to stay and make PGMS a better society.

Marion: You are a CGM, Green Star Award winner, North Carolina Branch President, and Awards Committee Chair. How has that affected your professional career?Roger: I believe that my status as a CGM helped me get my current job at Duke University. Achieving my CGM Certification and the process to win a Green Star Grand Award made me look closely at my processes for maintaining landscapes and the details to achieve a "WOW" landscape. Being President of the North Carolina Branch helped me reach out to others and see how we could mentor and network with other colleges and colleagues in N.C.

Marion: What have you found to be the biggest benefits to you being involved in PGMS? Roger: Networking with others at the convention in Louisville. This one time a year event is great for learning techniques used by others, seeing new products, and just talking to peers to see how they have handled similar situations.

Marion: How long have you been at Duke University? What are the biggest challenges in your current job? Roger: I have been a Duke for over seven years. My biggest challenge is people. I have always liked working with people. At Duke I had to learn to step back and direct them rather than work beside them and encourage them through doing. Duke is a union environment and that was initially a major challenge, but with time and a little patience, I believe we have learned to respect each other and work together to achieve a common goal.

Marion: We all value our time away from work. What do you like to do in your free time? Roger: Away from work I like working in my yard. Although I keep things very simple, I try to have something going on year around. I play soccer in a league in Raleigh (really just a weekend warrior). I spend most of my time chasing my 14 year old daughter around the state watching her compete in soccer. This is probably my biggest joy watching her grow and improve from year to year. I love to read for pleasure. I read a little of everything from work related material to Scifi and fantasy.

Pictured above is Susanne Woodell, CGM of the Biltmore in Asheville, N.C. with Roger at the annual School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO.

Member Profile: Roger Conner, CGMBy: Marion Bolick, CGM, PGMS president-elect

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Big Price Tag for Water InfrastructureThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that $271 billion is needed to maintain and improve the nation’s wastewater infrastructure, including methods for managing stormwater runoff and recycled water distribution.

That amount is the result of an EPA survey produced in collaboration with the various states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories, and based on projects that involve water quality-related, public health problems.

Each project included in the survey had to have a site-specific solution and detailed information on project cost.

“The only way to have clean and reliable water is to have infrastructure that is up to the task,” said Joel Beauvais, EPA’s acting deputy assistant administrator for water. “Our nation has made tremendous progress in modernizing our treatment plants and pipes in recent decades, but this survey tells us that a great deal of work remains.”

The EPA maintains that wastewater infrastructure must become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, stronger and more frequent storms, flooding, and drought.

EPA launched the Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center in January 2015 to work with states and communities to identify innovative financing strategies for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The center recently selected regional Environmental Finance Centers to help communities across the country develop sustainable “how-to-pay” solutions to meet environmental goals.

In addition, EPA offers financial assistance to address the types of infrastructure needs covered in the survey. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund has provided more than $111 billion in low-interest loans since its inception in 1987, with $5.8 billion in fiscal year 2015 alone. Grant funding is available through the Alaska Native Villages and Rural Communities program, the Clean Water Indian Set-Aside, and the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure program.

The $271 billion is primarily for projects needed within five years. That amount included:$51.2 billion to rehabilitate and repair conveyance systems.

$19.2 billion to plan and implement structural and nonstructural measures to control polluted runoff from storm events.

$6.1 billion for conveyance and further treatment of wastewater for reuse.

Source: http://landscapeonline.com/research/article/28143

PGMS offers classified postings for job opportunities. To place a classified ad on the PGMS website and in the PGMS Forum, please visit http://pgms.starchapter.com/classifieds.php to submit your ad. To view details on any of the positions below visit http://pgms.starchapter.com/classifieds.php.

Grounds Manager - Various locationsThis position may provide oversight for a single campus or oversight for a number of sites in a geographic local. Primary responsibilities for this position is to conduct the planning, organization, and implementation of an overall Grounds Program for a major Facility or group of Facilities. Functional responsibility encompasses oversight for Grounds, Landscaping, Lawns, Sports Turf, Intramural Fields, IPM / Pest Control Ornamentals, Structural Pest Control, Pond, Lake and Water Management, as well as Road / Hard Surface Construction and Maintenance.

In addition, the incumbent shall also provide support to and receive direction from Senior Corporate Staff in sales, acquisition of new business, conduct of surveys, and other related functions to obtain the quality with which “Grounds’ are maintained and to make recommendations for correction.

Visit http://pgms.starchapter.com/classifieds.php for more details.

Head Gardener - Private Estate, Quinn & Associates Philadelphia, Pa. A large, premier private estate located on Philadelphia’s Main Line is seeking a “hands-on” Head Gardener to provide the highest-degree of care for the landscape. The estate consists of approximately 10 acres of lawns bordered by large-scale shrubs and mature native and ornamental trees. The gardens surrounding the original stone house are planted with extensive boxwood groups and hedges. Climbing roses and vines are trained onto the house and terrace walls. A nearby, one-acre woodland garden features drifts of flowering shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

Visit http://pgms.starchapter.com/classifieds.php for more details.

Landscape Management Intern – Milwaukee BrewersLandscape Management Interns will be responsile for assisting with overall maintenance and care of the 260 acre landscape surrounding Miller Park and Helfaer Youth Baseball Facility. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to gain additional experience by independently managing the development of projects and supervising crew members. Positions are seasonal from March 2016 through November 2016 with a 3 month minimum duration.

PGMS also offers postings for internship opportunities and member resumes as an added member benefit. To place an internship opportunity or your resume on the PGMS website, please e-mail the information to Justine Harper at justineharper@assnhqtrs.com. More information can be found at pgms.org/career-center/.

Classifieds