Is Landscaping and Nurseries Classified as Essential Businesses in New York State-COVID-19

Dear PLANT CNY Members-3/20/2020-SCROLL DOWN FOR LATEST UPDATES
PLANT CNY and NYSNLA will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and we will update you as more information becomes available to us. Attached you will find a letter that was sent to Governor Cuomo yesterday to try and get us in the ‘essential service’ classification. The guidelines are not very clear at this time and everyone has a lot of questions. We are working hard to get clarification. Here is a link to the GUIDANCE ON EXECUTIVE ORDER 202.6 https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026
We will continue to monitor all the information and pass it on as it becomes available. 
Here is a list of some industry actions and some items that might help clarify the latest executive order in NYS.

• NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals) has written a letter of support for the green industry in all states.
• NYSNLA President Anthony Caggiano was able to get NYSNLA listed as a supporting association to NALP’s letter.
• NYAFEC (NY Alliance For Environmental Concerns) is working to get spray techs, turf & landscape exempt from the workforce shutdown.
• The NY State Turfgrass Association is working to get the green industry listed as an ‘essential business’.
• Region 1 (Long Island) has written letters pushing for the ‘essential business’ classification as well.
• The DEC is also in our corner and working with the Vandervort Group (Lobbyists w/ NYAFEC).
• New York Farm Bureau 3/20/2020 at 6pm     Horticulture update: If the nursery grows food crops alongside perennials and shrubs, they are exempt from the Governor’s workplace reduction rule. If they only grow non-edible plants, they will need to keep workers home --unless they conduct food production.
• New York Farm Bureau has also petitioned the Governor to include in the agricultural exemption, exemptions for horticulturally-based farm operations, given the time sensitive nature of their business. The letter to the Governor can be viewed here.
• ISA (International Society of Aboriculture) and TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association) put together a letter to officials and members, that letter is attached to this email. The letter contains information on what they are considering essential and non-essential.

*The Empire State Development Corporation (The body determining the protocol for ‘essential businesses’) is supposed to be coming up with a more clearly defined list of ‘essential services’ in the very near future. We will let you know as we find out more information. 
We are all in this together and we will get through this together!

Your PLANT CNY Board
Dana, James, Christin, Dale and Beth

UPDATE 3/21/2020

We have been working hard to keep you updated as information is available. Please also remember that most of us working on this are volunteers trying our best to work through a difficult situation with limited information. There are lots of people behind the scenes trying to get more clarification for all of you and we will report new information as it becomes available.  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this. 
We would like to pass on another idea that was brought to our attention. We have had a few members tell us that have requested designation as an essential business for themselves. You can submit a request for your business by following this link https://esd.ny.gov/sites/default/files/Request%20for%20Designation%20Form_2.pdf

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isa-tcia-joint-statement-essential-services.pdf
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nysnla_essential_business_-_cuomo.pdf
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UPDATE 3/24/2020:

We are passing along the latest news we have received from Department of Agriculture and Markets.  We will continue working on clarification of essential services and we will update you as more information becomes available. 

Visit the Dept of Ag site here:
https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus

As of this morning, SOME of our industry was given "essential" status. Please read carefully and see the attached download below. We will share other updates as they become available. 
​IF you decide to work it is advised you comply with the current NYS suggested best management practices for safe and sanitary workplace environments. 

Resource:
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

This opportunity is a blessing, but be wise. Be safe out there, and take care of yourselves and your staff. 

guidanceforthehorticultureindustry.pdf
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UPDATE: DECEMBER 19, 2020
For advocacy information and New York State related COVID-19 updates, click to the NYSNLA webpage:
https://www.nysnla.com/protecting-you-