ELS Landscape LLC's PESP Strategy

Describe your Organization’s Five-Year Goals Related to Pesticide Risk Reduction

Develop a four hour seminar revolving around the basics of IPM and how it relates to environmental stewardship for the Buidling Owners Management Institute. Target audience is building managers. BOMI International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education institute that provides courses on line as well as in person. Unlike other environmental programs that deal with regulatory compliance, IPM is a voluntary concept. The materials will address issues such as the practical benefits of IPM, and topics such as control of public health pests, existing certification programs for structural pest management, invasive species and essential principles in landscaping management as well as the "how to" to implement IPM.

The goal of the training is to educate and motivate buidling managers to be better environmental stewards.

What do you envision doing (broadly) to try to resolve your major issues?

The course is expected to be around 100 pages of written and graphical printed materials and will be presented in a 4-hour short course. The course is expected to be a foundation and basis for the addition of other relevant material. Meaning an additional lecture can be added as it relates to specific industries or regions of the country.

The course will end in a short quiz about the basic and the importance of the materials. We anticipate this will be the first of several training modules developed by BOMI over the next two or 3 years.

Other topics will be geared toward management and operation of commercial properties and health care facilities.

The intent is to develop some advanced classes that currently go beyond the basics that are now being taught to systems maintenance administrators and real property administrators. In addition we want to build upon the facilities maintenance administrators understanding as well and make this material more relevant to the hospital facilities administrators.

We feel that it would be easy for most individuals armed with proper understanding of the issues to lead the way toward environmental stewardship including less use of pesticides, cleaner non-point source discharge, lower electrical consumption, improved indoor air quality, and better and safer environments in the work place in general.

Goal 1 and Tactics

Partner with Texas A&M and some leading property management companies to run pilot programs based upon accepted IPM practices. May involve grant application to record and log results to be used for business case.

Goal 2 and Tactics

Partner with BOMI to look for additional funding to develop more in-depth surveys. The thought process is to record the results over a period of time as it relates to response to training. BOMI is capable of reaching out to many individuals but will be doing so in a manner it has never done prior to this point in time. As a result there will be a need for some funding to develop this program.

The basic concept at this point in time, which will change and evolve, is to establish a based line (or assist in developing a base line within the survey) then measure the relative cost, the human perceptions and responses, and the value in terms of savings as well as increased property values.

Goal 3 and Tactics

Contact Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to learn more about pesticides of interest and identify those currently found in urban waterways and more specifically which actives maybe originating from landscape practices and the current levels. Armed with further information, work with local BOMA chapters, such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and Houston to make an effort to reduce levels in those cities.

Goal 4 and Tactics

Once we have established such results, share those general results with various cities and businesses so that they may begin their own educational programs. i.e. – Partner with the City of Grand Prairie and a couple of big box stores to promote responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides.