TM
March 19 (Wednesday)
How to Use Sustainable
Permaculture Design
Principles to Produce
Abundant Gardens
Volume 24, Issue 2
February 2014
Upcoming
Events
February 19 (Wed)
Chapter Board Meeting
5:00 pm Board Meeting
Ewing Irrigation
1175 Prospect Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
March 19 (Wed)
Chapter Dinner Meeting
5:00 pm Board Meeting
6:30 pm Dinner/Program
Spyglass Inn Restaurant
2703 Spyglass Drive
Pismo Beach, CA
www.clcaslo.org
Josh Carmichael, Carmichael Environmental, will show how the three
ethics of Permaculture Design—Earth Care, People Care, & Fair Share
Trade—can produce more functional, cost-effective and environmentally
friendly landscapes.
C
armichael Environmental started in 2001 by
Josh Carmichael as an outlet for his passion of
art and science and love of the natural world. Josh
is a community activist, environmental steward,
and longtime resident of San Luis Obispo County. The Carmichael Environmental team is comprised
of Cal Poly horticulture and landscape architecture
graduates and others focused on improving our
environment with a hands-on approach. Specializing
in all facets of sustainable design-build landscape
construction, they also conduct workshops, lectures,
nature hikes, and other educational events.
5:00 pm – CLCA SLO Chapter Board Meeting
(all members welcome)
6:30 pm – Dinner/Program: Josh Carmichael
Place: Spyglass Inn Restaurant
2703 Spyglass Drive, Pismo Beach
Cost: $30/per person, with RSVP by Friday,
March 14; $35/per person, at the door
RSVP: To make your reservation, please contact
Shawn Sousa by Friday, March 14, at 805-748-3721 or
by email to [email protected].
ABOUT JOSH CARMICHAEL…
• Board Member, SLO Green Build
• Member, Coalition of Appropriate
Technology
• Instructor, Cuesta College
Community Programs, Bridge Demo
Garden
• Lecturer, Cuesta College Construction
Technology, Green Jobs Training
• Instructor, SLO County Partners
in Water Conservation Committee,
Greywater Workshop
• Instructor, Cal Poly Continuing ED,
CA Native Plants
• Permaculture Design Certification,
Wild Heart Gardens, Merritt College,
Oakland, CA
• Permaculture Design Certification,
Earth Flow Design, CP Continuing ED
• Member, AmeriCorps Environmental
Stewards Program
2014 San Luis Obispo Chapter Officers
President............................. Mike Kneeskern, Central Coast Landscape Products....... [email protected]......... 805-595-3478
Immediate Past President... David Brown, Mari Landscaping.................................. [email protected].................. 805-226-9787
VP, Membership / PR.......... Bruce Courter, Day Star Ent., Inc................................. [email protected]. .....................805-237-1420
VP, Programs / Events......... Shawn Sousa, AAA Landscaping.................................. [email protected]............................ 805-748-3721
Secretary............................. Gina Marie Hall, All Seasons Gardening & Landscaping... [email protected]............ 805-544-5296
Treasurer............................. Pat Connelly, St. Francis L/S....................................... [email protected]. ..................... 805-235-1859
Associate Member Rep........ Jonathan Araya, Ewing Irrigation............................... [email protected]
Education Liaison............... Brandon Delon, Leftside Landscape............................. [email protected]
Board Member..................... Evan Moffit, KD Janni Landscaping, Inc........................ [email protected]. ...................805-748-8931
Editors................................. Kevin & Sandy Daugherty, Red Boots Studios............ [email protected]. ..........................805-704-5461
CLCA Board of Directors
President.......................................... Frank Niccoli........................(650) 592-9440
Director of Events........................... Eric Briner............................(559) 453-2539
President-Elect................................ Chuck Carr...........................(805) 732-3705
Director of Education..................... Steve Jacobs CLP, CLT........(760) 945-4321
Immediate Past President.............. Eric Watanabe.....................(818) 993-0200
Director of Membership................. Javier Lesaca . .....................(661) 836-0229
Secretary/Treasurer........................ Ted Sandrowski...................(530) 345-6101
Director of Resource Mngmnt....... Tom Noonan CID, CLIA......(916) 812-5034
Executive Director.......................... Sharon McGuire......(800) 448-2522 ext 13
Associate Member Director........... Rick Zinn..............................(925) 864-1088
Director of Communications......... Jessica Centeno...................(310) 768-4089
Co-Dir. of Chapter Pres. Council... Aaron Huxley.......................(408) 824-0181
Director of Chapter Services......... Richard Sheffield.................(661) 245-1147
Co-Dir. of Chapter Pres. Council... Steve Beckstrom, CLT......... (714) 379-1140
Director of Legislation................... Pete Dufau, CLT...................(805) 642-1239
SLO CLCA Past Presidents
2012-13
David Brown
Mari Landscaping
2011
Aaron Huxley
Hunter Industries
2009-10 / 2005-06
Erik Wolting
All Seasons Gardening &
Landscaping
2007–08
Jim Trask
California Water Shapes
2004
John Doyle
J Doyle Landscaping
1998–2001
Bruce Courter
Day Star Enterprises, Inc.
1995
Danté D’Alfonso
D’Alfonso’s Landscape
1993
John Ruggiero
Arcadian Gardens
2002–03
Pat Connelly
St. Francis Landscape
1996–98
Lloyd Gracey
Pacific Coast Landscapes
1994
Duane Morris
Duane Morris Landscape
Designer/Contractor
1991-92
Bruce Courter
Day Star Enterprises
Guide to Advertisers
Please support our advertisers by remembering them
first when making your next purchase. Let them know
you saw their ad in the SLO Xpress!
Birch Equipment Finance ............................................................3
Central Coast Sod..........................................................................16
Coastline Equipment.............................................................10, 15
Ewing Irrigation . ...........................................................................11
Farm Supply ...................................................................................16
Greenfields Turf ..............................................................................8
Gro-Power, Inc. ................................................................................8
Growing Grounds Farm (TMHA) . ..............................................9
J.R. Simplot Company ...................................................................5
Landscape Contractors Insurance Services, Inc. .................9
Netafim .............................................................................................. 9
Olson Irrigation Systems ..............................................................5
Palm Tree Plantation NEW! .........................................................3
Red Boots Studios.......................................................................... 13
Quinn Company............................................................................... 4
Rossi Transport Services . ...........................................................16
Sanford Stone Company . ............................................................9
San Marcos Growers . ....................................................................8
Santa Barbara Stone ....................................................................16
Thank you to all of the companies that
generously support our chapter newsletter
by placing an advertisement.
slo xpress
february 2014
president’s message
W
elcome to the
February edition of
the SLOXpress! 2014 is off
to a great start for the SLO
chapter!
MIke Kneeskern, CLCA–SLO President
Central Coast Landscape Products
We were pleased to have
Jim Huston visit us in
January to teach his seminar
on down economy estimating.
We had a great turnout and
we are hoping to carry that
momentum through the rest
of the year.
I’d like to personally invite
you to attend our next event
at the beautiful Spyglass Inn
in Shell Beach as local expert
Josh Carmichael shares his
insight on how to prepare for
spring planting in the San
Luis Obispo County. Please
take a minute to visit clcaslo.
org and browse our events
calendar and make sure to
contact our events director to
register early for events you’d
like to attend.
their knowledge with you and
be sure to check out how you
can become a certified water
manager through the CLCA.
Thank you for your continued support of your local
chapter and I look forward to
seeing you at our next event!
In closing, I know that
the drought is on everyone’s
minds these days. Remember
Best Wishes,
to be creative with your
Mike Kneeskern
clients and be pro-active in
Chapter President
showing them what you’re
doing to save them water.
Also be sure to consult with
your local vendors to see what
materials you can incorporate
into your landscapes that will
use less or no water.E6ABIG::EA6CI6I>DC
Finally,
&$)"eV\ZVYÕ(#+'*Ç]m)#-,*Çl
remember that the CLCA is
hadmegZhhcZlhaZiiZg&&$&(
full of certified water
managers who are willing to share
=443?0;<CA44B.
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F4>554AF7>;4B0;4?A828=6
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february 2014
slo xpress
LEAF Scholarships Fund the Future of the Green Industry
cipient of the San Diego Chapter
Scholarship.
S
ince 1988, CLCA has been
recognizing exemplary academic achievement by awarding
scholarships to students through
CLCA's (LEAF) Landscape
Educational Advancement
Foundation. In 2013, CLCA has
granted a total of $18,850 to 14
students pursuing horticulture
degrees at California colleges
and universities. Recipients from
Southern California, or whose
schools or donating chapters are
in Southern California, include:
David Boggs of Spring Valley
is a sophomore at Cuyamaca
College in El Cajon majoring in
arboriculture. Boggs is the re-
Christopher Martinez
of Indio Hills is a student at
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He
received the Inland Empire
Chapter Scholarship and the
Ron Heaviland Memorial
Scholarship.
Chaz Perea of Whittier is a
senior at Perm State University
online and recently finished his
course of study in ornamental
horticulture at Mt. San Antonio
College in Walnut, receiving an
associate's of science degree in
ornamental horticulture and an
associate's of science degree in
integrated pest management.
He is currently working to earn
a bachelor of science degree in
turfgrass science and preparing for work on two master's
degrees: an MBA and a master's
in environmental science. A
Certified Arborist and Certified
Irrigation Auditor, Perea also has
a Qualified Applicator License
and Pest Control Advisors
License. He currently works as a
landscape manager for the Los
Angeles Dodgers and is a coach
on the Mt. San Antonio College
turf team. He was awarded the
Los Angeles San Gabriel Valley
Chapter Scholarship, the Tom
Yanase Pacific Coast Chapter
Scholarship and the Jaie Wallace
Memorial Scholarship.
Cody Stewart of Ventura,
a student at Cal Poly, San Luis
Obispo, is the recipient of the Hi
Kellogg Memorial Scholarship,
the Elizabeth Lloyd-Davis
Foundation Scholarship, the Joy
and Warren Thurston Memorial
Scholarship, the Stuart Sperber
Memorial Fund Scholarship,
the Henry Soto/Rose Marie
Head Memorial Scholarship, a
CLCA General Fund Scholarship
and a CLCA Women's Auxiliary
Scholarship.
Cody Wallace of Fullerton
is a senior at Cal Poly, San Luis
Obispo, and the incoming vice
president of the Horticulture
Club. Wallace received the
Orange County Chapter
Scholarship, the Walt Young
Memorial Scholarship, the Ben
Slade Memorial Scholarship,
the Tom Matsuoka Memorial
Scholarship and a CLCA General
Fund Scholarship.
Jeremiah Wheeler of Shasta
Lake is a junior at Shasta College
majoring in horticulture. This
summer he is working to receive
his pest applicator's license,
his irrigation auditor's certification and his C-27 license.
He received the North Valley
Chapter Scholarship and the
Associate Member organization
Scholarship.
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slo xpress
february 2014
Guidelines On Complying With California Stormwater Regulations
Landscape contractors and
members of the green industry
should have a special connection to
water quality. Contractors particularly should be aware of the law,
understand the best management
practices (BMPs) and how to apply
them, know how their operations
can contribute pollutants, and be
able to manage their activities and
employees. Landscape contractors
should be proactive, not reactive.
Staying in compliance and making
a difference doesn’t always mean
spending dollars. Sometimes it’s
just a matter of having pride in
what we do.
These guidelines are intended to
provide a range of general information about stormwater quality
BMPs and related issues faced by
landscape contractors on job sites in
California. These guidelines do not
address site-specific applications
or the entire scope of federal, state
february 2014
and local regulations. Landscape
contractors must consult with a
stormwater professional to determine the applicability of the information provided for any general use
or site-specific purposes.
Users of these guidelines assume
all liability directly or indirectly
arising from using this information.
CLCA once again thanks David
Franklin, CPESC, stormwater
management services trainer for
EnviroTech NPDES, for helping
update his 2007 draft of this
document.
CLCA Stormwater
Guidance for the Landscape Industry
The History
O
n June 23, 1969, the
Cuyahoga River in
Cleveland caught on fire. For
over one hundred years,
this river and others in
industrialized areas ignited on occasion. Rivers
served as sewer systems
for industrial and human
waste. Local authorities
were generally powerless against the polluters
as there were few legal
mechanisms in place.
During the 1960’s, the
ecology movement was
growing, images of this
flaming river embarrassed the nation, Randy
Newman wrote the song, “Burn
on Big River”. Within a few years,
the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) was formed and
Congress passed the Clean Water
Act (CWA).
The Law
The Clean Water Act is a long
and complex law that regulates
slo xpress
discharges into Waters of the
US. The goal of this legislation
was to restore and maintain the
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s
waters. The CWA prohibits “the
discharge of any pollutant by
any person”. While this is not an
achievable goal, the result of the
… continued on page 8
slo xpress
february 2014
SLO CLCA Chapter Partners Program - 2014
www.clcaslo.org
Sponsorship Levels
Cuesta Circle - $325.00 (Contractors Only) a $605.00
Value
• Name on SLO CLCA Chapter Banner* and website
1- Kick -Oﬀ Event: “Down Economy” Workshop
2- Dinner Meetings
1- Golf Player entry, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
1- Hole Sponsorship, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
Montaña de Oro** - $1,250.00 an over $1,800.00 value
• LARGE Logo on SLO CLCA Chapter Banner*, SLO CLCA
Chapter website and at Beautiﬁcation Awards
1- Kick -Oﬀ Event: “Down Economy” Workshop
1- Chapter Dinner meeting
2- tickets, 2014 SLO CLCA Beautiﬁcation Awards Dinner
1- Sponsorship of a Beautiﬁcation Award**
(excluding Sweepstakes and John Thomas Awards)
4- Golf Player entries, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
4- Mulligan packets, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
1- Hole Sponsorship, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
Cerro San Luis - $550.00 a $945.00 value
• Logo on SLO CLCA Chapter Banner*, SLO CLCA Chapter
website and at Beautiﬁcation Awards
1- Kick -Oﬀ Event: “Down Economy” Workshop
1- ticket, 2014 SLO CLCA Beautiﬁcation Awards Dinner
1- Sponsorship of a Beautiﬁcation Award**
(excluding Sweepstakes and John Thomas Awards)
1- Hole Sponsorship, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
Morro Rock** - $850.00 a $1,245.00 value
• Logo on SLO CLCA Chapter Banner*, SLO CLCA Chapter
website and at Beautiﬁcation Awards
1- Kick -Oﬀ Event: “Down Economy” Workshop
1- ticket, 2014 SLO CLCA Beautiﬁcation Awards Dinner
1- Hole Sponsorship, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
4- Golf Player entries, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
2- Mulligan packets, 2014 SLO CLCA Golf Tournament
Additional Options (you must have purchased one of the
above packages)
Golf Hole Sponsor…………………………………………...… $150.00
Each Additional Golfer ………………………………………. $150.00
Dinner Meeting Sponsorship…………………………….$1,000.00
Sponsor a Beautiﬁcation Award………………….……….$500.00
A Tee Box Booth ………………………………..……………….$300.00
Donate to the Salute Fund or CLCA-SLO Scholarships
If you are able to, please consider making a donation to the
Salute Fund (where your money will be used to help fund
our Wounded Warrior Garden Project) or the CLCA-SLO
Scholarships (which go to local Cal Poly landscape industry
students).
Please contact Mike Kneeskern at 805-464-1393 for details.
*Chapter Banners are displayed at all SLO Chapter Events
**Please add an additional $200.00 to sponsor either the Sweepstakes or John Thomas Memorial Award categories
SLO Chapter Sponsorship Form
Sponsorship
Level
Name
Business
Address
Additional Options
Phone
Order total:
Check Enclosed
Total:
Fax completed form to 805-544-8702 or mail to
SLO CLCA - Attn: Partners Program Committee • P.O. Box 14755 - San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Visit our SLO Chapter website at www.clcaslo.org
february 2014
slo xpress
state news continued…
law was to require that discharges of pollutants be done under
a federal permit, administered
under the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES). Initially, the CWA
targeted wastewater discharges:
wastewater leaving the pipes of
factories and Publicly Owned
Treatment Works (PTOWs)
and being dumped into waterways. Eventually, stormwater
washing off of urban areas from
municipalities, industrial/commercial and construction sites
was recognized as a significant
source of pollutants. The ongoing discovery of the types and
sources of pollution and the
prioritization and implementation of solutions has guided
the growth of new regulations
meant to improve the quality of
the Nation’s waters.
Federal law requires that each
state identifies the beneficial
uses of waters in the state
(drinking, tourism, transporta-
from page 5
tion, natural habitat, commercial
uses, swimming etc.). Most
states, including California are
authorized to administer the
NPDES program on behalf of
the EPA in order to protect the
beneficial uses. In California
the authority to regulate storm
water runoff under the NPDES
system has been delegated to the
State Water Resources Control
Board and the nine Regional
Water Quality Control Boards.
The Water Board writes permits
(called General Permits) in a
variety of categories. Categories
include: heavy industry such
as transportation (airports,
railroads), municipalities (cities,
counties, schools, prisons etc.)
having separate storm sewer
systems (separate from sanitary sewers and hence the term
“municipal separate storm sewer
systems” [MS4s]) and construction sites disturbing over one
acre of land. These entities “ask
permission” to sign on to the
permit covering its activities
and the discharges that result.
Additionally, Individual Permits
are written for facilities with
unique operations (a power
company discharging thermally
elevated waters used for cooling). The law requires that it be
the owner who seeks coverage
under the appropriate permit.
The owner is then responsible
for sub-tier workers.
Permits for municipalities are
tailored for that particular urban
area while following a standard
template meant to ensure that
all municipal permits address
common concerns. Smaller and
more rural municipalities are
allowed to operate without gaining permit coverage for the time
being. Statewide, all construction sites having an acre or more
of disturbance are required to
gain coverage under one General
Construction Permit which is
based on the commonalities that
construction projects share. The
site conditions and information specific to each project are
addressed in a document called a
Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Plan (SWPPP); it is meant to be
guidance for all operators on the
site and so all operators should
be familiar with it.
The Fines
Significant monetary fines
exist. Anyone contributing to
environmental pollution may
end up sharing a part of the fine.
Regulators prefer to be “compliance assistors‚”, but when they
respond to a citizen’s complaint
of an illegal discharge, their
mindset may be more, “the
learning curve is over; when is
this stuff going to end”? Fine
amounts have been growing as
has been the inclusion of lowertier subs in the citation process.
The Process
Landscape contractors will
probably discover that their
activities are regulated by two
different permits: a municipal
MS4 permit and a construction
permit. MS4 permits require
that the municipality monitors
commercial operations for activities that may be contributing to
… continued on page 9
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE!
Bruce Courter of Day Star Enterprises Inc. is retiring and
has put all of his landscape contracting equipment up
for sale. Find GREAT DEALS on equipment, tools and
tractors (e.g. a Kubota Skip Loader L-275 and a Kanga,
complete with attachments and trailer). Also for sale is a
2004 Ford Ranger XLT Extended Cab pickup.
For more information and details,
call Bruce at 805-237-1420
Peggy Koegler
Sales Manager
Phone:(805) 683-1561
Fax: (805) 964-1329
[email protected]
http://www.smgrowers.com
slo xpress
125 S. San Marcos Rd
P.O. Box 6827
Santa Barbara, CA
93160-6827
february 2014
state news continued…
pollution: restaurants washing
greasy mats and allowing the
wash water to flow to the storm
drain, auto parts stores where
customers change their oil in
the parking lot and then rain
carries spilled oil to the gutter
and landscape contractors who
store broken bags of fertilizer
without protective cover, thus
allowing the eventual migration
of nutrients to the creeks, lakes
and ocean. So, landscapers need
to monitor their operation yard,
vehicles and jobsites for ways
to eliminate or reduce activities
and practices that contribute to
pollution.
Landscapers, who work on
projects disturbing an acre or
more, are required to operate under the State General
Construction Permit (CGP). As
mentioned earlier, site specific
guidance is contained in the
project’s SWPPP. The SWPPP is
required to be onsite for review
and adherence. Information on
from page 8
SWPPPs is outlined below.
While the state of California
enforces the federal Clean Water
Act, it is free to add on regulations that are stricter. Since
2010, stormwater management
requirements have been raised
to a level not seen before in the
United States. New regulations
have defined key roles for stormwater practitioners (QSPs) and
SWPPP developers (QSDs). These
individuals are required to have
ongoing formal and informal
training. Along with the property owner, they are responsible
for protecting the environment.
In California, all construction
projects disturbing over one acre
must utilize a QSP and QSD. If
your company works on CGP
projects, document the environmental training of your staff.
It will be needed for inclusion
in the SWPPP and it will reflect
positively on your firm.
Finally, local ordinances may
exist which are more strict than
federal or state laws. Every landscape contractor should contact
the local jurisdictions where they
work to find out what local rules
may apply. Check the stormwater
webpage or call the stormwater
manager.
The Methods
After having identified the
beneficial uses of the state’s
waters, California maintains a
program of identifying what pollutants are impacting the waters
and what human activities
contribute those pollutants: agriculture contributes sediment,
pesticides, nutrient runoff etc;
livestock operations contribute
bacteria; transportation departments contribute heavy metals
from brake wear, hydrocarbons
from oil drips etc. It’s at this
point that solutions for preventing pollution releases to the waters need to be developed; in the
same way that farmers needed
to learn during the dust bowl
days to plant windrows of trees
to prevent erosion from wind.
Public sector interests such as
the EPA and private sector interest such as home building associations have developed products
and practices to minimize or
eliminate pollutant discharges.
These are called BMPs (Best
Management Practices). Some
examples of product BMPs
are silt fence, erosion control
blankets, hydroseeding, gravel
bags at drain inlets and storage
containers for preventing rain
from coming in contact with
chemicals. These are sometimes
referred to as “structural BMPs”.
“Non-structural BMPs” are good
habits or practices or strategies.
Some examples are doing
routine vehicle maintenance
under controlled shop conditions
rather than on a construction
site, educating employees on
stormwater issues upon hire
and specifically as jobsite issues arise, and scheduling soil
disturbing activities to the dry
season or between storms and
stabilizing the ground as soon as
… continued on page 11
Growing Grounds Farm
DELIVERY AVAILABLE
THROUGHOUT SLO COUNTY!
Phone: 805-543-6071
Fax: 805-543-6092
Open 8:30 to 4:30 Mon.–Fri.
3740 Orcutt Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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february 2014
slo xpress
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12/19/13 5:24 PM
10 slo xpress
february 2014
state news continued…
possible to prevent erosion from
rain and wind. BMPs are also divided into categories of “temporary” or “permanent”. Temporary
straw applications are used until
permanent sod is installed.
California now requires that
specific BMPs must be used and
as such, operators are obligated
to select these minimum BMPs
and others that will be most
effective for their operations.
Selecting these BMP solutions
can be challenging as one site
may differ greatly from the next.
In addition to BMP selection
and use, certain strategies have
become standard operating
procedures for the stormwater
industry: i.e. do not place a portable toilet on top of a drain inlet
and when fueling equipment, use
a location at least 50 feet from
the site’s discharge locations (in
case of leaks or spills) and don’t
expose more landscape than can
be protected in the event of rain.
following BMPs are typically
employed:
from page 9
To this end, many different agencies and associations across the
country have developed manuals on BMPs and stormwater
management strategies. Sharing
and borrowing has generally
been common. This has bettered
the industry and minimized the
need to “re-invent the wheel”. It
is typical for guidance manuals
to include the following sections
for each BMP:
1. a description
2. typical applications
3. limitations
4. specifications
5. inspection, maintenance
and repair requirements
For landscapers, the operations yard and the construction
site are the usual areas of
concern.
At the operations yard, the
1. Material Usage: keeping chemicals, auto fluids etc
under cover of roof or tarp, and
elevated if flowing rainwater
may come in contact with them
and contained on the perimeter
in case spills occur. Having a
spill response plan and materials
(absorbents) available and staff
trained on using them is another
part of the BMP.
2. Waste Management:
proper disposal of wastes, using
dumpsters with lids that are kept
closed, preventing rain from
leaching pollutants from materials stored in truck beds.
3. Equipment and Vehicle
Maintenance: preventing spills,
repairing leaking equipment etc.
4. Education is a BMP too:
training your people.
On a construction site, landscape crews should be familiar
with the SWPPP and the BMPs
for that site. The SWPPP is the
master plan and is usually composed of a binder and drawings.
The binder will include required
forms, site info, inspection
reports, responsible persons, all
the subcontractors on site, the
selected BMPs etc. The drawings
will show locations for the BMP.
Here are some typical BMPs
found in a SWPPP.
1. Stockpile Management:
covering stockpiles and protecting from storm flow erosion at
the base. This includes keeping
materials out of the gutter flow
zone.
2. Street Sweeping: sweeping at day’s end or more often
if needed since sediments can
migrate off site via vehicle tires.
3. Material Usage: same as for
the operations yard.
4. Erosion Control: quality
… continued on page 12
Open House BBQ
Friday, March 7, 2014 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Join us at Ewing San Luis Obispo for
our Open House BBQ to celebrate our
new location.
Representatives from your favorite
vendors, including Hunter, Toro, FX,
and Vista, will be on hand to answer all
of your product questions.
We’ll serve some delicious carne asada
for lunch.
Hope to see you there!
Ewing San Luis Obispo
1175 Prospect St. | San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
P: 805.545.9530 | F: 805.545.9531
www.ewing1.com
february 2014
slo xpress
11
state news continued…
landscaping is erosion control.
If the finished landscape is not
done, stabilize exposed soil with
straw, blankets, plastic sheeting
etc.
5. Wind Erosion Control:
use water or physical cover
(blankets, etc) to prevent wind
erosion. The local Air Quality
Agency and the neighbor with
a clean pool frown on such erosion. Contact the local agency for
additional requirements.
6. Sediment Control: preventing erosion control is not
always possible on an active
site with exposed soil and so
sediment control measures are
used. Gravel bags, fiber rolls,
silt fence, sediment ponds, are
meant to remove sediment that
has mixed with water. A common
misconception is that these
measures filter out sediment as
water passes through the silt
fence for example. While some
amount of filtering may occur,
all good filters clog and so these
measures primarily are meant
to work by ponding the water.
Successful installation means
building a water retaining structure. Heavier sediments, such
as sand, settle out of the water.
The longer water can stand still
behind a straw roll, the better
the chance that sediments will
separate (via the process of settling) from the water with which
it became mixed.
7. Non-stormwater: If it
doesn’t rain and there is a
discharge, it is a non-storm
discharge. It is very common
on construction sites to have
significant amounts of runoff
leaving new landscapes that are
being over-watered by irrigation
systems. Irrigation runoff should
be eliminated; otherwise, it
should be minimized and not allowed to pick up pollutants prior
to discharging offsite (don’t put
your pile of topsoil in the gutter
flow line).
12 from page 11
8. Non-structural:
a. Scheduling: avoid working
on disturbed soils in the rain if
you cannot prevent sedimentladen discharge from leaving the
site.
b. Protecting Existing
Vegetation: limit the areas to be
disturbed and protect the roots
of heritage trees. Use fencing (orange) to protect Environmentally
Sensitive Area (ESA).
c. Education: inform your
field and office staff concerning
stormwater issues. When the
person answering your phone
knows key words and concepts,
your company image grows.
Here are some other important guidelines for preventing
pollution:
1. Locate and protect discharge points on the property
(drain inlets, gutters flowing off
site) and keep operations away
from them or a keep buffer zone
in case spills occur. Do not store
soils, materials, etc. in the gutter
where flows will carry off material. Avoid using leaf blowers to
push debris into drain inlets.
2. Become knowledgeable in
the proper selection and installation of products and materials
for erosion and sediment control
(ESC). Misunderstanding and
misapplication is incredibly common and reflects poorly on the
industry; the resulting pollutant
discharges might be greater than
having done nothing!
3. Don’t damage the BMPs
others have installed. Use them
where appropriate. Cement
washouts are not a place to
throw solid waste, including
concrete rubble.
4. Use appropriate irrigation
designs to reduce the potential
for erosion and pollution runoff.
5. Follow all federal, state,
and local laws and regulations
governing the use, storage,
and disposal of chemicals and
training of applicators and pest
control advisors:
a. Follow manufacturers’
recommendations and label
directions.
b. Where practicable, use pesticides only if there is an actual
pest control problem (not on a
regular preventative schedule).
When possible, use less-toxic
chemicals that will get the job
done in the minimum amount
necessary.
c. Never apply chemicals
during or immediately before
predicted rain or wind events,
or anytime when wind exceeds
5 MPH.
d. Do not mix or prepare
chemicals for application near
storm drains.
e. Do not apply any chemicals
directly to surface waters unless
the application is approved and
permitted by the state. Do not
spray within 100 feet of open
waters.
BMPs. Be proactive, not reactive.
Being compliant and making a
difference doesn’t always mean
spending dollars. Sometimes it’s
just a matter of having pride in
what we do.
Disclaimer
These guidelines are intended
to provide a range of general
information about stormwater
quality best management practices (BMPs) and related issues
faced by landscape contractors in
California. Due to many regulations and site-specific issues,
these guidelines will not address
all matters of compliance.
Landscape contractors must
seek advice from a stormwater
professional to determine the
applicability of the information
provided here for their specific
needs. Users of these guidelines
assume all liability directly or
indirectly arising from using this
information.
Source: clca.org
f. Apply methods to minimize
off-target application (e.g. spray
drift), including consideration
of alternative application
techniques.
Water Related
Websites
g. Sweep pavement and sidewalks if chemicals are spilled. Do
not hose spills down the gutter.
City of Paso Robles Water
www.prcity.com/government/
departments/publicworks/
water/index.asp
h. Store all chemicals in
closed, labeled containers and
keep them off the ground.
i. Properly dispose of used
chemical containers.
The Results
Landscapers, as members
of the Green Industry, likely
have a special connection to the
environment. As professionals,
we’ll need to know about water
quality laws, know how our
operations might be a source
of pollutants that migrate to
the environment, manage our
activities and employees and
know about and how to use
slo xpress
C.I.M.I.S.
www.cimis.water.ca.gov
CA Dept. of Water Resources
www.dwr.water.ca.gov
Water Education Foundation
www.water-ed.org
Irrigation Association
www.irrigation.org
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
http://www.usbr.gov
CA Urban Water
Conservation Council
www.cuwcc.org
www.h2ouse.org
CA Data Exchange Ctr.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov
february 2014
Industry News
FX Luminaire Introduces Luxor Wireless
Lighting Control
Wi-Fi System Allows Users to
Operate Landscape Lighting Using
a Smartphone or Tablet
F
X Luminaire proudly announces the release of its new
Luxor Wi-Fi system, offering
wireless lighting control from a
smartphone or tablet. Using the
Luxor App and an available Wi-Fi
signal, zoning and dimming
can be controlled with iOS and
Android devices for on-the-fly
adjustments.
“Luxor Wi-Fi gives users the
ability to set their lighting levels
as needed, right from their
phone. For example, the lights
can be initiated immediately
when walking outside to have
dinner or going to the pool, then
dimmed to set a mood, then
returned to the normal schedule
later,” said James Helms, FX
Luminaire product manager.
“Luxor lighting extends the living space into the outdoors, but
the new Wi-Fi capability makes
it so much more flexible. Users
can change and adjust lighting
themes instantly, which is perfect for all types of entertaining
occasions.”
The Luxor Wi-Fi system
consists of three parts: a Wi-Fi
Module that links Luxor ZD
controllers to iOS & Android
smartphones and tablets using
the Luxor Wi-Fi App, the Light
Assignment Module (LAM)
which allows smartphone or
tablet group assignment of every fixture attached to a Luxor
ZD system, and a new indoor
facepack mount that allows
the Luxor ZD facepack to be
remotely mounted inside a home
or garage.
All three pieces of hardware
FX Luminaire's Luxor Wireless System
are available now from FX
Luminaire. The new FX Luxor
App is available in the iTunes
store; the Android version will
be available from Google Play by
February 2014.
About FX Luminaire and
Hunter Industries
the advancement of LED lighting
technology and digital lighting
control with zoning, dimming
and color adjustment capabilities. FX Luminaire is a division
of Hunter Industries, one of the
world’s leading manufacturers of
irrigation products.
FX Luminaire is an industry-leading manufacturer of
landscape and architectural
lighting products with a focus on
Landscape Contractor: EARTHSCAPES
™
Kevin Daugherty, Photographer
805-704-5461
www.redbootsstudios.com
february 2014
slo xpress
13
January
2014
Obispo
and- SLOEvents
17 CLCA
all day San Luis
CLCA-SLO
Kick-off Event Programs
Elks Lodge
$75/members
MONTH
DAY
TIME
EVENT
VENUE/LOCATION
COST
February
19
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Ewing - SLO
FREE
March
19
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Spyglass Inn - Pismo Beach
FREE
March
19
6:00pm
Dinner Meeting - "Ready for Spring"
Spyglass Inn - Pismo Beach
$30 /RSVP
April
16
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
TBD - North County
FREE
May
21
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Ewing - SLO
FREE
June
1
all day
CLCA-SLO "Family Fun Day!"
TBD
FREE
June
18
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Ewing - SLO
FREE
June
20
6:30pm
CLCA-SLO Beautification Awards Banquet
Madonna Inn - SLO
$50
July
16
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Ewing - SLO
FREE
August
20
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
Spyglass Inn - Pismo Beach
FREE
August
20
6:00pm
Dinner Meeting - Chapter Elections
Spyglass Inn - Pismo Beach
$30 /RSVP
August
25
all day
Community Project - Wounded Warrior Garden
TBD
N/A
September
17
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting/Planning Session
Ewing - SLO
FREE
October
3
all day
13th Annual CLCA-SLO Benefit Golf Tournament
TBD
TBD
October
15
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting/2014 Budget
Ewing - SLO
FREE
November
19
5:00pm
CLCA-SLO Board Meeting
North County - TBD
FREE
Advertise Your Company on CLCASLO.ORG!
Opportunities for suppliers, landscape contractors, designers and architects!
Contact Kevin by phone or email for more information:
805-704-5461 or [email protected]
14 slo xpress
february 2014
2014 SLOXPRESS Advertising Rates
The San Luis Obispo SLO Xpress is published
eleven times a year for the San Luis Obispo
Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors
Association (SLO CLCA). Address: SLO Xpress,
C/O Red Boots Studios, P.O Box 6970, Los Osos,
CA 93412-6970. Phone: 805-704-5461.
News releases, public service announcements,
photos and other correspondence may be
directed to the above address or by e-mail to
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Copy and advertising deadlines are on the
15th of the month preceding publication.
For information about advertising and rates,
contact Kevin Daugherty at 805-704-5461.
The opinions expressed in byline articles do
not necessarily reflect the views of the San Luis
Obispo Chapter or the publisher.
february 2014
slo xpress
1/8 page (3-5/8" x 2 1/8")
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15
Red Boots Studios
P.O. Box 6970
Los Osos CA 93412-6970
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Santa Barbara Stone & Masonry, Inc.
Jim Osweiler
27 North Nopal St, P.O. Box 4809, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-4809
Phone (805) 963-5891 FAX (805) 962-7993
Email [email protected]
Wholesale
Redwood • Fir • Cedar
bark • Soil Amendments
Erro-Control Straw
Playground Fiber
STEVEN L. ROSSI
VICE PRESIDENT
RES. (805) 466-6195
PHONE (805) 434-2884
(800) 321-3092 • FAX (805) 434-0877
P.O. BOX 120 • ROSSI ROAD
TEMPLETON, CA 93465