Best Management Practices:
Environmental issues are playing an important role in the development of the nursery/floral industry. Federal, state, and even local regulations are establishing new standards for the preservation of our natural resources. The cost for these environmental safeguards can be significant and many producers are beginning to feel the economic impact.
The Texas Nursery/Floral Industry has a long-standing commitment to the environment. Our products enhance the air we breath, the water we drink and the soil we live on. Horticulturists have traditionally been good stewards of the environment with an appreciation for our valuable natural resources. The commercial nursery/floral industry has been a leader in establishing production practices that limit the impact of their operations on soil, water and air.
Working cooperatively, the Texas Association of Nurserymen (TAN) and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (TAEX) have developed a long-range environmental plan for the nursery/floral industry. This plan, entitled Target 2000, establishes important environmental goals to be reached by the year 2000. One of the cornerstones of Target 2000 is the implementation of several Best Management Practices (BMP's) to limit potential environmental impact from the production of nursery and floral crops.
Because the nursery/floral industry is so diverse, it is impossible to develop a cookbook approach to solving complex environmental problems. Growers must gather information from a variety of resources and create specific solutions that fit their individual situation. This process can be both time consuming and expensive.
The TAN Environmental Committee and the TAEX have brought together a variety of information sources, in this guide, to assist growers in developing specific solutions to environmental problems. Although the cultural and structural BMP's discussed in each of these information sources are somewhat different, they all focus on water as their primary area of concern.
Environmental issues are playing an important role in the development of the nursery/floral industry. Federal, state, and even local regulations are establishing new standards for the preservation of our natural resources. The cost for these environmental safeguards can be significant and many producers are beginning to feel the economic impact.
The Texas Nursery/Floral Industry has a long-standing commitment to the environment. Our products enhance the air we breath, the water we drink and the soil we live on. Horticulturists have traditionally been good stewards of the environment with an appreciation for our valuable natural resources. The commercial nursery/floral industry has been a leader in establishing production practices that limit the impact of their operations on soil, water and air.
Working cooperatively, the Texas Association of Nurserymen (TAN) and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (TAEX) have developed a long-range environmental plan for the nursery/floral industry. This plan, entitled Target 2000, establishes important environmental goals to be reached by the year 2000. One of the cornerstones of Target 2000 is the implementation of several Best Management Practices (BMP's) to limit potential environmental impact from the production of nursery and floral crops.
Because the nursery/floral industry is so diverse, it is impossible to develop a cookbook approach to solving complex environmental problems. Growers must gather information from a variety of resources and create specific solutions that fit their individual situation. This process can be both time consuming and expensive.
The TAN Environmental Committee and the TAEX have brought together a variety of information sources, in this guide, to assist growers in developing specific solutions to environmental problems. Although the cultural and structural BMP's discussed in each of these information sources are somewhat different, they all focus on water as their primary area of concern.
Information Resource Guide:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region 6 Office (Texas)
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75202-2733
Phone: (214) 665-6444
Additional EPA Numbers:
EPA Publications & Information Center
(513) 489-8190
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-8190
Water Resource Center
(202) 260-7786
Waste Water Treatnment National Small Flows
(800) 624-8301
Storm Water Hotline
(703) 821-4823
Wetlands Protection Hotline
(800) 832-7828
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
P.O. Box 1307
Austin, Texas 78711-3087
Phone: (512) 239-1000 FAX: (512) 239-4430
Texas Department of Agriculture
P.O Box 12847
Austin, Texas 78711
Phone:(512) 463-7476 FAX: (512) 463-1104
Natural Resources Conservation Service
101 South Main, W.R. Poage Federal Building
Temple, Texas 76501-7682
Phone: (817) 774-1214 FAX: (817) 774-1388
Texas Agricultural Extension Service
Room 225, HFSB
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843
Phone: (409) 845-5341 FAX: (409) 845-8906
Texas Association of Nurserymen
7730 South IH 35
Austin, Texas 78745-6698
Phone: (512) 280-5182 FAX: (512) 280-3182
Southern Nurserymen's Association
1000 Johnson Ferry Rooad, Suite E-130
Marietta, Georgia 30068-2100
Phone: (404) 973-9026 FAX: (404) 973-9097
American Association of Nursrymen
1259 I Street N.W., Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 789-2900 FAX: (202) 789-1893
Internet Service:
TNRCC home page http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/
EPA Publications E-mail http://pubs@EPAmail.epa.gov
EPA home page http://www.epa.gov
Texas Water Resources Instititute home page http://twri.tamu.edu
E-mail twri@tamu.edu or
rjensen@tamu.edu
TAEX home page http://leviathan.tamu.edu:70
Aggie Horticulture http:/aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu
TAN home page http://www.plants.orggrowzone/
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