Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Water Restrictions Coming

SWFWMD Governing Board approved Phase III Water Shortage for Tampa Bay Area effective March 13, 2013. Tampa Bay Water’s Regional Reservoir is out of service for renovation and surface water flow (rivers) is such that additional conservation measures are necessary. Regional water will be supplied primarily by groundwater (regional well fields), the desalination facility, and surface water as flows permit.


Phase III means a return to one day a week landscape irrigation with sprinkler systems that use potable or private well water. See link below for more information.

http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/TBphase3.php

Monday, February 25, 2013

Your Chance to Share Your Views



Pinellas County citizens survey opens online and on the go

Got two minutes to help shape the future of Pinellas County?

Residents can take a brief online survey to share their vision about what is good and what needs improvement in Pinellas County. How do people’s priorities align with present realities? What do they want the county to be like in five years?

As the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners continues to set a strategic direction for the community, feedback from the survey will help set priorities that align with the vision of the citizens they serve.

Citizens can take the survey from 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 25, to 5 p.m. Friday, March 1.

The survey has gone mobile this year and is accessible at www.pinellascounty.org/mobile. The survey can also be found on the Pinellas County website at www.pinellascounty.org.

“The online survey is one of the tools we are using during the initial phase of prioritizing for the next year’s budget and as we continue to set long-range strategic direction this feedback will guide us toward a vision the community shares,” said Pinellas County Administrator Bob LaSala. “It is absolutely necessary to gather this feedback in order to learn the goals of the residents as individuals and then ultimately as a community.”

This is the third year that the county commission has collected input from residents with an online survey. It follows a statistically valid phone survey that was taken during the past month which targeted a cross-section of the county’s residents. The results of both surveys will be posted online once the information is compiled.

Another opportunity to offer feedback and interact with the county commissioners is coming up on Wednesday, April 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., when the Pinellas County 2014 Budget Community Forum is held at the Seminole campus of St. Petersburg College in the Digitorium. An open house and eTownHall will give officials and residents a chance to talk about budget issues and the future of the community.

For more information on Pinellas County services and programs, visit www.pinellascounty.org, now with LiveChat, or create a shortcut to www.pinellascounty.org/mobile on any mobile device. Pinellas County government is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Pesticide CEU Variety Pack

You are invited to attend our CEU Variety Pack on March 27, 2013

You can select 2, 4 or 6 CEUs.

To register go to this link:  http://ceu-variety-pack-eorg.eventbrite.com/#

Class AGENDA

9:30-10:00 Check-in


Morning session:

10:00-10:50 Herbicides Modes of Action and Resistance Management

Dr. Bill Haller

Herbicide resistance is a major concern in all herbicide applications. Applicators become comfortable with certain herbicides and herbicide mixes and use them repeatedly year after year. During this presentation, Dr. Haller will give examples of herbicide resistance and how to prevent or best manage to minimize the development of resistant weed populations.

10:50-11:40 Weed Control in Florida’s Waters and Natural Areas

Dr. Lyn Gettys

Dr. Gettys will discuss the common pathways for weed introduction in Florida, present historical accounts of the state’s invasion by hydrilla, waterhyacinth, Brazilian pepper and other weeds and cover management options for controlling the “10 most-wanted list” of Florida’s aquatic, upland and natural areas weeds.

Morning session CEUs requested: Aquatic (2), ROW (2), NA (2), Comm L & O (1), Lmt. L & O (1), LCLM (1), Demo & Research (2), Private (2), Regulatory (2)

11:40-1:00 Turn in survey, receive CEU form and Lunch on own

12:45 – 1:00 Check-in for afternoon session

Afternoon session:

1:00-1:50 Preventing Herbicide Failures

Dr. Brent Sellers

Dr. Sellers will describe the most common reasons for herbicide failures or reductions in efficacy and how to tailor treatment programs to get the most “bang for your buck” – attaining optimum weed control while minimizing pesticide use and exposure.

1:50-2:40 Equipment Calibration

Dr. Brent Sellers

Dr. Sellers will discuss the importance of equipment calibration and will describe the protocols that should be followed to reduce pesticide use and exposure. This talk will provide valuable information to licensed pesticide applicators of all categories.

Afternoon session CEUs requested: Aquatic (2), Demo & Research (2), Forest (2), Natural Areas (2), Private (2), Regulatory (2), Right-of-Way (2), Comm. L & O (2), Lmt. L & O (2), LCLM (2)

2:40 turn in survey, receive CEU attendance forms, check-in for CORE

CORE session:

3:00-4:40 FDACS Vehicle Inspection

Paul Mitola, FDACS Field Training Coordinator

CEUs requested:  2 Core

4:40 Turn in survey, receive CEU attendance form, adjourn.

Speaker Bios

Dr. Bill Haller is a Professor of Agronomy at the University of Florida in Gainesville, specializing in Aquatic Weed Science. His research is focused on aquatic weed management; in addition, Dr. Haller is also the Acting Director of the UF IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

Dr. Brent Sellers is an Associate Professor of Agronomy at the University of Florida Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona, specializing in Weed Science. His focus areas include identifying problematic weeds in pastures and rangeland and implementing economically and environmentally sound control measures, examining weed biology and ecology as related to pasture and rangeland management strategies, and weed control in fence rows and pasture borders.

Dr. Lyn Gettys is an Assistant Professor of Agronomy at the University of Florida Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie, specializing in Aquatic and Wetland Plant Science. Her focus areas include identification, biology and control of invasive aquatic and wetland species, plant propagation and development of novel techniques to increase the success of aquatic restoration and mitigation projects.