[MAIPC] Invasive Management on Public Land

Wed Jan 26 14:23:38 PST 2022

 Thanks everyone for the exchange re "sometimes" certified applicator volunteers...especially s'plain-spoken Art Gover.
Being career Professional 30+ years in the pesticide business... an "individual is either certified or not". Legal or not. It takes a LOT of experience and study graduate from Registered Technician to Certified Applicator. My Certification was key to me now having a Commercial Business License. If I'm reading the latest Wash DC regulations properly...you can only be a minimally-experienced Pesticide Technician (working under supervision of a Certified Applicator) for 2 years before you must take the test for full blow Certification. Slackers need not apply.

My career experience has encountered extreme flaws, "education" loop-holes or individuals with a required Degree but never held a sprayer in their life, and political cronyism re allowing un-Registered, Certified, let alone non-Commercial Business pesticide applicators leading major wetland projects on govt, or any, property. 

The Maryland Dept of Agriculture promotes, at every annual re-Certifiation Conference to report or give heads-up re suspected companies/individuals that are applying hazardous chemicals either unknowingly for $, resisting in-house counsel, on the sly or feeling they are excused by some personal entitlement or ego. 

These individuals are criminals as well as the upper-chain that knowingly abets it. I spend $ thousands of dollars annually for difficult-to- acquire business liability insurance for invasive pesticide/IPM management by-the-rules...there is a reason it's named the PESTICIDE APPLICATORS LAW in the Maryland Charter...to my detriment for a 1+ man shop post retirement following my wildlife habitat preservation passion.  

I do NOT not to allow volunteers to work alongside me for fear of ANY pesticide contact liability issues, PLUS they are NOT registered in Maryland (under me) as a Registered Technician. I refuse association with abusers or abettors; I hold my Lifetime business license as sacred for my profession,environmental passion and will not tarnish my reputation associating with scofflaws and environmental hypocrites. 

PS Admins...if you feel my opinions violate Group sensibilities or cause offense...feel free to edit remove...cens..
Great Group, dealing with the entire spectrum of invasive plant control. Just don't "control" me like my goat entrepreneur opine. 

Patrick D. Kelly, Principal and Horticulturist

PDK Horticultural,LLC Phragmites and Invasive Plant Control Services

301 Hope Road

Centreville, Md 21617

443-262-2079 mobile

https://PDKHorticultural.com

https://www.facebook.com/PDKHorticulturalLLC

    On Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 10:30:02 AM EST, <wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> wrote:  

Sometimes volunteers are certified applicators. I have found that many organizations in Hawaii, Maryland etc. have a small number of such volunteers to apply chemicals.

From: MAIPC <maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> On Behalf Of Greenberg, Patricia
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2022 9:53 AM
To: Gover, Art <aeg2 at psu.edu>; Nicole Hersch <nicole at nrvrc.org>
Cc: MAIPC Listserve <maipc at lists.maipc.org>
Subject: Re: [MAIPC] Invasive Management on Public Land

Hi Nicole,

In Fairfax County Park Authority, we do not allow volunteers to apply chemicals on parkland. Though many of our dedicated volunteers have asked if they could. We have Certified Techs on staff and have to have a Certified Applicator to supervise the techs. We hold the Forest Pest certification- Category 2. 

We have about 65 or so dedicated Invasive Management Area Volunteer Site Leaders. We have a list of 90 but some are paused due to covid precautions. Site Leaders go through a training process including a PowerPoint presentation, background checks, on-site visits for plant identification training, and have to do online training through our Volunteer Management System like PPE or blood borne pathogens safety training. We provide the site leader tools when they set up workdays, which we post on our webpage. I have attached an example of a site plan that our IMA Site Leaders used to have to fill out yearly. A couple of the original volunteers still like to update their site plans. Now a days, by signing up on our online volunteer management system, they are basically signing off. I also attached our sign-up sheet and the scout project agreement which any scout needs to fill out prior to implementing an Eagle Scout project on parkland. 

Staff help at volunteer sites by doing the chemical application where its cut stump treatments or a little spraying of celandine and other plants that volunteers cannot manage manually. I have also hired a contractor to follow-up on sites after volunteers have brought down the invasives and removed the debris. It makes it a lot cheaper. 

I wonder if the Blue Ridge PRISM might be a source of volunteers for the community? 

I hope this is helpful,

Patricia Pearl Greenberg
Ecologist II

Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program Manager

Natural Resource Branch

Fairfax County Park Authority

Office: 703-324-8673

Fax: 703-324-3996

patricia.greenberg at fairfaxcounty.gov

(She/Her/Hers)

ISA Certified Arborist, MA-6067A

ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified

From: MAIPC <maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org> On Behalf Of Gover, Art
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2022 4:57 PM
To: Nicole Hersch <nicole at nrvrc.org>
Cc: MAIPC Listserve <maipc at lists.maipc.org>
Subject: Re: [MAIPC] Invasive Management on Public Land

Hi, Nicole. 

I think your question #2 will be state-specific.

I can offer my understanding of PA.

Terminology:

Certified Applicator: someone who has passed the state exam for a particular application category (PA has 26), and works for a Pesticide Business as a public or commercial applicator. A Pesticide Business is necessary to obtain the required liability insurance.

If by “volunteer” you mean a non-credentialed applicator, then they can only apply under the direct (present, in communication) supervision of a certified applicator licensed in the relevant category. In PA, the work you’re describing would likely be Category 10 (Rights-of-way, Non-crop) (or Category 5 - Forest Pest Management, or Category 23 - Parks and Schools).

In PA, if a municipality wanted a volunteer corps of applicators, they would either need their own applicator (and business license and insurance) to supervise (and train), or have a commercial applicator (with their own business license and insurance) supervise (and train) them. Someone involved has to be certified and liable. 

If the municipality has a business license, they could register applicator technicians, trained in a specific curriculum by their certified applicator. These registered applicator technicians can work autonomously.

It’s a lot of work. I think there’s a good chance an experienced commercial applicator could do the envisioned work on a for-hire basis fairly quickly and for less expense (figuring training, admin, etc) than engaging volunteers.

Be well.

Art Gover

Fruittown Land Stewardship Services

On Jan 18, 2022, at 12:32, Nicole Hersch <nicole at nrvrc.org> wrote:

Hi All,  

I have a couple of questions that I am looking for some advice on. First a little background. 

One of the Towns in my region has acknowledged that invasive species are a huge problem, but they haven't done anything about it to date and aren't exactly sure where to start--it seems daunting to say the least (not to mention Town staff is already at capacity-with no resident experts on payroll). 

The main idea on the table is that a small area is chosen as a demonstration site for invasive removal and potentially native planting, to be executed by community groups who have a capacity for on-going efforts. Long-term maintenance of the site is of concern. The Town has been burned by a lot of short-term projects which create additional long-term work for staff. 

1. Does anyone have volunteer groups complete an MOU when performing long-term invasive management on public land? If so, would you be willing to share it?

2. Has anyone used volunteers as certified applicators on public land? If so, could you tell me about that? 

Any thoughts on this topic in general are greatly appreciated! 

Thanks,

Nicole 

-- 

Nicole Hersch, ASLA 

Regional Planner II/Community Designer

New River Valley Regional Commission

p: (540) 639-9313 

6580 Valley Center Drive, Suite 124

Radford, Virginia 24141

nrvrc.org 

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