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Contact: Vicki Bendure, APR 
                (540) 687-3360 or
                Lisa Schaumann
                (540) 687-5099

NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROFESSIONAL LANDCARE NETWORK DEEMS TENTH ANNUAL “RENEWAL & REMEMBRANCE” A SUCCESS

HERNDON, Va., August 1, 2006 — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) announced today that its annual event “Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery and Historic Congressional Cemetery,” held on Monday, July 24, 2006, was a huge success. This marked the event’s 10th year with more than $1 million having been contributed in services and work to date.

More than 300 landscape, lawn care, and tree care specialists from across the nation brought their crews to Arlington National and Historic Congressional cemeteries and spent the day mulching, cabling trees with lightening protection, pruning, liming, planting, and aerating, as well as installing an irrigation system at Arlington National Cemetery.

“This event provides an opportunity for us to demonstrate our professional skills and care for two important American monuments,” stated PLANET President John Gibson, CLT. “This year marks the largest turnout and largest contribution we’ve ever had,” Gibson added.

The day began at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony featuring a joint color guard and a poignant speech by Robert Dolibois, executive vice president of the American Nursery & Landscape Association.

Many PLANET members have special connections at the cemeteries either through relatives and friends who are buried there or through their own military service. PLANET member Gary Clark, with Environmental Management, Inc. of Dublin, Ohio, had never seen his uncle’s gravesite. He was able to find the site and make a rubbing, using tracing paper and pencil, of his uncle’s grave stone.

On Tuesday, July 25, 2006, PLANET members visited their congressional leaders on Capitol Hill to discuss association-sponsored health plans, pest management, fire suppression, and H-2B guest-worker reform. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez also addressed the group and spoke on the importance of immigration reform. He stated that immigration is a central part to the nation’s growing economy. Gutierrez stressed the urgent need to reform immigration laws. “Immigration is the domestic social issue of our time,” he stated. Many PLANET members echoed Gutierrez’s sentiments in their meetings with congressional members on Capitol Hill.



PLANET represents approximately 4,400 green industry service provider companies and suppliers nationwide that specialize in lawn care, design/build/installation, interior plantscaping, and landscape management. These firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals. For more information, call PLANET at (800) 395-2522 or visit landcarenetwork.org.