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Florida Pest Management Association Promotes Water Management Practices; Pest Control Companies Help Protect the Environment

Posted on: Monday, 17 April 2006, 09:00 CDT

Increasing numbers of pest management companies and lawn care companies are educating their customers on Best Water Management Practices (Water BMPs) for conservation, environmental protection and the maintenance of healthy lawns.

"The Florida pest management industry recognizes the need for conserving healthy water resources," said Jennifer Leggett, FPMA president-elect. "We especially want to focus on consumer education during April in celebration of Earth Day and National Pest Management Month."

A few years ago, the Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA) joined other green industry organizations and the St. Johns Water Management District to develop a set of standards and practices that pest management professionals, lawn care professionals and homeowners can follow to conserve our natural resources.

A healthy lawn provides a host of benefits:

-- Water Quality -- Dense, healthy grass slows and filters runoff, removing contaminants and trapping soil. Fresh, filtered water returns to the underground water supply.

-- Oxygen -- Oxygen generation by turf has a major impact on our environment. A 50-ft. by 50-ft. lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.

-- Cooling Effect -- Grass is a natural air conditioner. Eight healthy front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning - enough for 16 average homes.

-- Pollution Control -- Turf keeps the air cleaner by trapping dust and smoke particles from the air. Grass also converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clean the air.

And that's not all.

Professionals advise that a healthy, well-maintained lawn can increase the value of a property by 5 to 15 percent.

The Florida Pest Management Association and its members support Earth Day and National Pest Management Month and encourage everyone to follow the Best Water Management Practices (BMPs) to derive maximum environmental benefits and conservation.

Contact FPMA at pmp_services@flpma.org or visit http://www.flpma.org to request a copy of the St. John's Water Management District BMPs.

Founded in 1945, the Florida Pest Management Association is one of the largest state pest control organizations in the country, and promotes "Protecting Your Environment" to the public and industry.

Source: Business Wire

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