May / June, 2010

Publishers’ Perspective

What's a white list, and why should I be concerned?

Texas legislators are finalizing new laws that dramatically slash the number of aquatic plants that can be grown and sold in the State. If you don't sell aquatic plants, and think this doesn't impact you THINK AGAIN. Look at the brochures used to sell ponds and pond products, and you will nearly always see water lilies, taro, and other popular aquatic plants. The reason is that they are a critical part of the pond vision for a large portion of pond keepers. If the plants they want are no longer available, many will no longer want a pond. This impacts us all, whether we sell fish or hardware, pond service or water treatments. We will all see a dramatic drop in sales.

Now some of you may be saying, “Oh Tom. Don't get all dramatic on us. It can't really be that bad.” Believe me, IT IS. Here is what is happening.

The Texas Legislature is ending the long-standing policy of keeping what is known as a Black List of plants that are considered noxious or invasive, preventing their sale in the state. They are instead instituting a White List of approved plants that can be sold. To get a plant on the list requires formal approval. The very short new White list is made up, almost exclusively, of plants that are native to Texas. Conspicuously lacking are the majority of aquatic plants currently being sold in the state. For example, if this ruling stands, the hundreds of hybrid water lilies that are the foundation of the entire aquatic flora business will be banned. The only water lilies on the White List are native (ugly) varieties.

Instead of being able to offer hundreds of water lilies, and literally thousands of other plant varieties to customers, Texas growers and dealers will be limited to only a few hundred of the most mundane Texas native plants.

While this spells disaster for Texas aquatic nurseries, it will have a cascading effect through the rest of the industry soon thereafter, impacting all the related pond products and services. Fish species will be targeted in the same way, as they are in other states now. This kind of legislation threatens us all.

Once these regulations are enacted in Texas, you know the organized proponents (activists) behind these regulations will move on to another state, using their success in Texas as the shining example of progressive thinking for others to follow. This is a nation wide problem and an industry wide problem.

Our industry organizations are now stepping up their activities to build awareness of this threat, including the IPPCA, IWGS, ILS, and NAPP, and they need your support now. I am setting aside an area on our site dedicated to publishing details on this and other legislative actions that threaten our livelihood. You may have gotten my recent email about other legislative problems in New York and Iowa. If you would like to be included in my Legislative Alert mail list, please send me a note at tomg@pondtrademag.com, or pondtrademag.com and

I will keep you in the loop personally.

It is time for our industry to circle the wagons, and stand up to ill-advised legislation like this. Otherwise more bad laws will follow spreading like, well, noxious weeds.

PS: To see the facts behind what is going on and who is working on the problem now, please visit pondtrademag.com/legalalert/

Download the May / June, 2010 PDF

Article List

Make a Splash with Container Water Gardening – Alternatives to Ponds or Additions to Any Yard
Jennifer Zuri
Learn how to make Container Water Gardens out of any vessel that holds water. They are easy to install, fit any budget and may be a way to introduce new clients to water features.

The “Other” Pond Business
Rick Weidman
Take a quick look at what "farm ponds" are – how they are used, and how they might be a good fit to your existing service business. Learn from a seasoned professional about this segment of the pond trade.

Language of Koi – Kujaku
Ellen Kloubec
Koi breeding professional discusses the challenges and surprising results in breeding Kujaku. Kujaku are distinctive with their metallic skin and matsuba scales (net-like pattern). See how dramatically they change, what to look for and why they are popular.

NAPP Holds Its First National Show
Tom Graham
Years in the planning, the National Association of Pond Professionals (NAPP) held their “Water Feature Conference & Expo” as their first national event. See what happened here.

My Favorite Aquatic Plants
Kelly Billing, Rowena Burns, Tish Folsom, and Jim Purcell
Four leading aquatic plant experts each share their three favorite plants. See their final choices and read why they selected each one. Included is a chart to see at a glance how the plants compare.

How Retailers Reduce Koi Mortality– to Save Profit Margin
Mamoru Kodama
Koi industry leader shares with you how to keep koi alive until they are sold. Learn what tasks employees should perform including feeding, cleaning & medicating–being responsible for the koi’s health, they will also be able to help your customers.

Do You Have Metal Toxicity? – The Invisible Koi Killer
Vicki Vaughan
A must read pond water quality article about the signs for metal toxicity and what to do about it from our Koi health expert. Includes places to look and suggestions on what pond companies can offer to their customers as solutions.

Email Campaigns That Work
Pam Greiner
Learn how to write an effective e-mail campaign the right way. Marketing expert shares critical dos & don'ts, including aspects such as the importance of "opt-outs," a catchy subject line, professional appearance, links, list mgt., and more.