About the Industry
The landscape industry, part of the Federal Government’s list of industries that provide Essential Services to support our national infrastructure, is a $98 billion-dollar industry in the United States, employing more than 1 million people.
Landscape professionals maintain and protect the living environments around hospitals, government facilities, housing areas, parks, schools, and more; protecting public safety by:
- performing regular maintenance to mow, prune control weeds, and inspect for safety and security issues;
- performing essential treatments to reduce the spread of dangerous and deadly diseases through pests like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas;
- removing fallen trees and mitigating overhead hazards from wind effects;
- providing maintenance and plant removal to assist in fire abatement;
- managing invasive species; and
- keeping public and private pathways free from obstruction and potential risk.
Because of this important work, the Department of Homeland Security in its “Memorandum On Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response,” includes landscape services as part of the list of essentials services needed to support Public Works and Infrastructure Support Services.
Safety is Job #1
Professional landscape, lawn care, and tree care companies take employee and client safety very seriously, employing regular safety training and enforcing strong safety standards on the job.
Companies have put additional safety measures in place in response to COVID-19, including social distancing, flexible work times, remote work for office employees, increased sanitation, and more. Furthermore, NALP encourages all industry companies to follow all CDC, and Federal, State, and local health and safety guidance and regulations.
Landscape Operations and COVID-19
Landscape work, in most cases, is performed outdoors in small teams, or individually, with limited public contact, posing a lower risk of spreading COVID-19. The landscape industry stands with our public officials to stop the transmission of COVID-19.
Landscape and lawn care companies play an important role in keeping healthy people employed and supporting the economy. The public health situation will continue to change over time, and company leaders will make their own decisions about how best to operate based on their individual circumstances.
NALP will continue to work in partnership with state associations and government entities to keep industry companies up to date on the latest regulations and safety guidelines so that we can continue to protect the public, our employees, and the landscapes we maintain.