The Lake County Extension, located at 1951 Woodlea Road in Tavares, is hosting a best management practices (BMPs) certification course for Florida’s green industries on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
The Green Industries BMPs are designed to preserve and protect Florida’s water resources from non-point source pollution. The BMPs cover proper fertilization, pest control, irrigation and cultural practices for landscape and pest control professionals. Knowledge of appropriate fertilizer rates, sources and application methods can greatly reduce any potential non-point source pollution of Florida’s ground and surface waters.
Although adoption of the BMPs is voluntary at this time, legislation passed in July 2009 will require anyone who applies fertilizer for hire to obtain an applicator’s license called the Limited Certification for Urban Landscape Commercial Fertilizer Application by January 2014. This certification course, which includes passing the exam with a 75 percent or higher, will be the prerequisite to obtain the license. Other local ordinances may require it as well.
The intended participants for Green Industries BMPs certification are supervisors and employees in lawn care, pest control or landscape industries; municipal parks & recreation facility supervisors and employees; irrigation industry workers; retail facility employees who sell fertilizers; city and county planning, environmental and water quality departments; and builders, developers, landscape designers and architects.
The Green Industries BMPs certification confers value as a client-marketing tool, credential of professionalism, furtherance of education and work opportunities and fulfillment of continuing education credits.
The cost of the certification course is $20 and includes lunch and training materials. To reserve a seat for the Green Industries BMPs certification course, call the Lake County Extension at (352) 343-4101. The Green Industries BMPs certification course brochure is available to download at http://cfextension.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/BMPforGI-11-8-10.pdf.
