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Issue link: https://landscapecontractor.epubxp.com/i/120950
Survey: Lack of Skilled Construction Workers Slowing Recovery A new National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey shows that growing labor shortages in the residential construction sector are impeding the housing and economic recovery. More than half of the responding builders have paid higher wages or subcontractor bids to secure projects, and consequently raised home prices, due to the labor shortage. Moreover, 46 percent of the builders surveyed experienced delays in completing projects on time; 15 percent had to turn down some projects and 9 percent lost or cancelled sales due to the lack of workers. Many skilled residential construction workers were forced to seek employment elsewhere during the recession and are no longer currently available. The housing job losses mushroomed to more than 1.4 million during the peak of the downturn, and many workers are not returning to the field. ANLA Submits Comments to EPA on Draft Pesticide Effcacy Rules The American Nursery & Landscape Association submitted comments in March to the EPA���s Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA-SAP), which is reviewing stricter guidelines on pesticide labeling www.anla.org/knowledgecenter. The guidelines may limit the chemical options available to landscape contractors treating pests, and would not provide an exception for dealing with new or invasive pests that require rapid response, i.e., the contractor has to deal with the pests and can���t wait around for efficacy studies to be completed. The good news, according to the ANLA, is the panel is still in the early stages of reviewing the guidelines. The association is working with other concerned parties to make sure a broad range of chemistries remains available for handling pest problems. Information Request # 510 E-15 Gasoline Burning Out? The Engine Products Group (EPG), which includes the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and a variety of auto and marine manufacturers, has asked the Supreme Court to review a Court of Appeals decision that blocked a lawsuit aimed at stopping distribution of the high-ethanol fuel blend E15, which has proved harmful to small engine equipment. The Court of Appeals dismissed the EPG���s original suit for lack of standing in August 2012. Equipping Landscape Professionals for Success www.LandscapeOnline.com D E S I G N ��� B U I L D ��� M A I N T A I N ��� S U P P L Y Call for Submittal in August "Hardscapes" Issue LC/DBM invites you to showcase the exemplary work of your company. ��� Commercial Plazas ��� Patios & Decks ��� Driveways ��� Entertainment Centers ��� Segmental Retaining Walls ��� Porous Pavements . . . If you're proud of a Hardscape project, we'd like to see your work! Just send a half-dozen low-res images (.jpg or .tif) to adeane@landscapeonline.com with "Hardscape Feature Submittal" in the subject line, and a short paragraph describing the project. Submittal deadline is 5/3/13 April 2013 37