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PPMA OFFICERS
Ed Van Istendal
President
Ensystex
Coatesville, PA
Paul Kutney
President Elect
Orkin
Ashley, PA
Keith Hamilton
Vice President
J.C. Ehrlich Co.
State College, PA
David M. Hyres
Past President
David M. Hyres Pest Control
Douglassville, PA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Central Division
Gary Lesher
Governor
Perry Pest Control
Landisburg, PA
Keith Hamilton
J.C. Ehrlich
Pleasant Gap, PA
Keith Jones
Archer Pest Control
Camp Hill, PA
Eastern Division
Jim Daly
Governor
Daly Termite & Pest Mgmnt
Ardmore, PA
Ed Van Istendal
1st Vice Governor
Coatesville, PA
Mike Snyder
Township Pest Control
Warrington, PA
Jim Nase
Moyer Indoor/Outdoor
Souderton,
Northeast Division
Paul Kutney
Orkin
Ashley, PA
Diane Lown
Ajax Environmental Solutions
Dalton, PA
Jeff King
The Pest Rangers
Hanover Twp., PA
Western Division
John Morrison
Governor
D-Bug, Inc.
Latrobe, PA
Adam Witt
Witt Pest Management
Pittsburgh, PA
Eric Herrington
Terminix
Bridgeville, PA
John Besic
Besic Pest Control
Transfer, PA
Technical Advisor
Chad Gore
Rentokil North America
Carnegie, PA
AWDII Chairman
Ed Van Istendal
Coatesville, PA
Legislative Chairman
Keith Hamilton
J.C. Ehrlich
State College, PA
Bed Bug Taskforce Chairman
Marty Overline
Aardvark Pest Management
Philadelphia, PA
Salino Scholarship Chair
Dana Lown
Ajax Environmental Solutions
Dalton, PA
Industry Liaison
Brian Smith
Univar
Sharon Hill, PA
Executive Director
Versant Strategies
Harrisburg, PA
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Dear Friends:
Summer is officially just around the corner and you are probably busier than ever! PPMA divisions are also busy with elections for their division governors and division board members bringing some changes in leadership. The PPMA state association is also experiencing change as a new slate of officers will assume the reins on July 1st. Thank you to outgoing PPMA President Ed Van Istendal for his excellent leadership and active participation throughout his two-year tenure. Ed will still be actively involved with planning the PPMA annual conference and organizing the annual AWDI course so we will continue to benefit from his input. Next month PPMA will welcome Paul Kutney, Orkin, as the new President and Keith Hamilton, J.C. Ehrlich, as President-Elect.
Planning has begun for NPMA's 2016 Eastern Division Conference which will be held in Pennsylvania in Pocono Manor. PPMA has provided some ideas to the planning committee for consideration including a potential topic on insect problems native to our state. Mark your calendar for January 13-15, 2016 for this event which will be held in the brand new Kalahari Resort which opens for business next month. And, of course, be sure to check out PPMA's own annual conference and division seminar dates listed below!
Just another reminder to renew your annual PPMA dues. If you have not received a renewal notice for July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, please contact the PPMA office at 1-800-842-9090.
Team Versant
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SFIREG Full Committee Meeting
On Monday and Tuesday, NPMA staff attended the State FIFRA Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) meeting at EPA headquarters. During the two day meeting several issues were discussed including: state pollinator protection plans, EPA's safer choice initiative, pyrethroid review, federal/state inspections and regional reports. The discussion on state pollinator protection plans was a large portion of the meeting. EPA confirmed that state pollinator plans will not be referenced on any label language and that the plans will not go through a formal review process. SFIREG members expressed concern over federal funding for resources to create and implement plans. Both the EPA and SFIREG members discussed designing metrics to evaluate the success of pollinator plans. SFIREG will be submitting formal comments to EPA concerning the state pollinator plans and will request a 60 day extension of the comment period. NPMA will continue to work closely with SFIREG on state pollinator protection plans.
In follow-up, NPMA staff participated in a Pesticide Policy Coalition call to discuss the strategic response to EPAs Proposal to Mitigate Exposure to Bees from Acutely Toxic Pesticide Products, published recently in the Federal Register. The Coalition will be collectively submitting a request for an extension of the comment period per the paragraph above. The coalition determined that the state pollinator plans and the metrics used to evaluate them are both opportunities for industry to be involved in the process and push industry interests. NPMA will be actively involved in communicating with NPMA members and state officials to best determine realistic and measurable metrics and then incorporate these discussions into the final comments submitted to EPA.
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Upcoming Meetings
The Eastern Division continues to hold its monthly meetings with varying topics of discussion on the second Thursday of every month at the Crowne Plaze in Trevose. For more information on monthly topics and speakers, contact Sue at (215) 331-1121.
The date for the Eastern Division's fall seminar is September 10. The event will be held at the usual spot, the Crowne Plaza in Trevose. Vendors can sign up now for exhibit space. Registration information for attendees will be coming soon. Mark your calendars now for PPMA's 2015 Annual Conference on November 9 & 10 at the Eden Resort in Lancaster. As noted above, NPMA's Eastern Conference will be held at the Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, PA on January 13-15, 2016! Plan to attend.
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Last month we listed the 2015 Salino Scholarship winners. Since then, PPMA was invited to the Dover High School's awards banquet to present Elizabeth Knaub with her Salino Scholarship award. Lyle Neal, a long standing PPMA member (and family friend) from J.C. Ehrlich, Elizabeth's sponsoring company, presented Elizabeth with her award at this banquet. Congratulations and best of luck, Elizabeth, and thanks to Lyle for representing PPMA!
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The information below represents legislative activity (including bill introductions) that has occurred since the last newsletter. For a full listing of legislation that Versant is tracking for PPMA, please contact us at (717) 635-2320 or dchappell@versantstrategies.net. Activity marked HCO or SCO indicates a co-sponsorship memo which precedes the actual introduction of legislation and is designed to secure the support of other legislators prior to introduction as a bill.
Legislation introduced since last month's newsletter:
HB 223 sponsored by Rep. Curt Sonney
Amends Title 34 (Game), in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and methods to allow the use of semi-automatic rifles with a caliber of .223 or less and a cartridge capacity of not more than six, for the hunting of coyotes, foxes and woodchucks (groundhogs). Effective in 60 days.
6-15-15 Hearing set for 11:00 a.m., Room G-50 Irvis Ofc Building with House Game and Fisheries Committee
HR 364 sponsored by Rep. Robert Matzie
Resolution designating the week of June 15 through 21, 2015 as "Pollinator Week" in Pennsylvania
6-1-15 Introduced as a noncontroversial resolution
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Articles of Interest
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06-10-2015
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Ohio bees decimated by yet another die-off
It was another rough winter for Barry Conrad's bees. For the second year in a row, he had to replace nearly 50 of his 75 colonies - about 2.5 million bees. Conrad, owner of Canal Winchester-based Conrad Hive and Honey, has been in the business for 30 years. Keeping his bees healthy is getting more... - Columbus Dispatch
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06-09-2015
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Harmful pest targets ash trees
WAYNE COUNTY - A highly destructive wood-boring insect that attacks ash trees will likely appear in Wayne County, said forestry officials. "There is a good chance that it is already here, but it has not been confirmed," said Sarah Hall-Bagdonas, a forest specialist with the... - Honesdale Wayne Independent
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06-04-2015
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Feds get busy on bee woes
For all of America's agricultural might, it still largely comes down to nature. A widely accepted rule of thumb is that one of every three bites of food consumed by Americans is due to pollinators - birds, bats, butterflies and other insects, especially bees. That production is worth... - Pottsville Republican and Evening Herald
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06-02-2015
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Region begins fight against beetle targeting its many ash trees
With the arrival of an invasive green Asian beetle in Baltimore, local governments and property owners are confronting tough - and potentially costly - choices about whether to try to save ash trees at risk of infestation or cut them down. The culprit is the emerald ash borer, which could attack any of the 5... - Baltimore Sun
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05-29-2015
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Philadelphia port inspectors find stink bug in pineapples
PHILADELPHIA - Inspectors have found a new pest in a shipment of pineapples at a Philadelphia port. The rice stalk stink bug was uncovered at Penn Terminal in a 1,600 case, 50,000-pound shipment of pineapples from the Dominican Republic that were headed for Florida. Customs and Border Patrol agents safeguarded the... - AP
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05-29-2015
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Beekeepers hope for rebound in regional colonies
ERIE, Pa. -- Charles Vorisek saw some hope when he crunched the data from 2,016 respondents on a recent Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association survey. State beekeepers reported losing 43 percent of their colonies over the winter, a decrease from the 50 percent rate reported lost over the 2013-14... - Erie Times-News
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05-29-2015
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Invasive plant species found in Pymatuning Lake
A rapidly growing, highly invasive plant species has been found in several areas of Pymatuning Lake, causing conservation officials to ask anglers and boaters to take precautions to prevent its spread to other area waterways. "We've found it in several locations - boat launches at... - Meadville Tribune
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05-28-2015
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Obama Announces New Rule Limiting Water Pollution
WASHINGTON - President Obama on Wednesday announced a sweeping new clean water regulation meant to restore the federal government's authority to limit pollution in the nation's rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. The rule, which would apply to about 60 percent of the nation's bodies... - New York Times
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05-15-2015
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Egg Farms Hit Hard as Bird Flu Affects Millions of Hens
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa - J.T. Dean is facing a gargantuan task. Mr. Dean, a son of the founder of one of the country's biggest egg producers, the Center Fresh Group, must kill and dispose of about 5.5 million laying hens housed in 26 metal barns that rise among the rolling... - New York Times
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05-15-2015
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Maryland honeybee losses among highest in U.S., survey finds
Maryland's beekeepers lost nearly 61 percent of their colonies on average in the past year, one of the highest declines in the nation, according to an annual survey released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Summer bee die-offs in the state and nationwide outstripped winter losses... - Baltimore Sun
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