Climate and Economic Impacts on the Plant Sector: Nursery & Landscape Perspective Warren A. Quinn, Esq., CAE Vice President for Operations American Nursery & Landscape Association March, 2012

Approach Horticulture in the US: Function to Aesthetics to Infrastructure Horticulture in the US: Function to Aesthetics to Infrastructure Consensus: Value of Plants in Designed Ecosystems Consensus: Value of Plants in Designed Ecosystems Challenges and Solutions: “What’s Next?” Challenges and Solutions: “What’s Next?” Provocative? Provocative?

Evolving use of plants Fruit trees and windbreaks/Major estates Fruit trees and windbreaks/Major estates Middle class homeownership: suburbia Middle class homeownership: suburbia Garden center retailing Garden center retailing Disneyland Disneyland ’70s: Highway beautification ’70s: Highway beautification ’80s: Commercial suburbia and office parks ’80s: Commercial suburbia and office parks ’90s: Curb appeal, status ’90s: Curb appeal, status 2000s: Staycations, outdoor rooms, etc. 2000s: Staycations, outdoor rooms, etc.

Increased Understanding of Benefits Greening of the cities: Greening of the cities:  Parks & greenbelts  Urban villages  Green buildings Landscape restoration and rehabilitation Landscape restoration and rehabilitation Horticultural therapy Horticultural therapy

Now: Green Infrastructure Warming: Energy savings, reduced evapotranspiration Storm severity/floods: Stormwater management Drought: Water retention, re-use, green roofs, engineered soil profiles CO2: Carbon sequestration Extinction: Managed biodiversity, engineered wetlands

2002 Data – Nursery & Landscape Industry* Business and governmental units Business and governmental units Growing, distributing, installing, maintaining Growing, distributing, installing, maintaining Trees, plants, landscapes and related equipment Trees, plants, landscapes and related equipment $148 billion ($95 billion “value added”) $148 billion ($95 billion “value added”) 2 million jobs, $64 billion labor income 2 million jobs, $64 billion labor income *2011- New York Restoration Project, Vibrant Cities & Urban Forests

Consensus and Challenge Those engaged in the conversation are convinced of the value of green infrastructure So... “We” don’t need more data... “We” don’t need to spend time/effort trying to convince each other

Consensus and Challenge Those not engaged are either:   Not interested   Threatened   Not reachable So... No amount of research or talking will convince them!

Challenges (1) Entrenched officials and engineers (irrelevance = unemployment Outdated building codes – Local! Researchers need to do research (solutions = unemployment) Every organization wants to lead and get credit – true collaboration is difficult

Challenges (2) Non-profit and Gov’t suspicion of for-profit sector Plants are always the LAST consideration The Green Industry will respond to the market – but will not lead it Grower: commodities versus bio-diversity Landscape: fragmented, limited influence LEED = minimum – not aspirational

Solutions (1) Improve plant education for landscape architects and civil engineers Cradle to Cradle: Change goal from “less bad” (LEED) to “sustainable sites” – even net benefits Need POTUS dedicated to change through leadership – not regulation Public gardens = public education = POWER

Solutions (2) Project timelines and specifications   Include “green machine” concepts early   Sole source (like high-tech)   Contract grow diverse species Government continuing education (Local!) Sustainable = profitable (don’t rely on government funding) No new “regulations” – Market-driven!

It’s a Movement Plant more plants