Nature West

Jan 2, 2019

Prescott Landscape Professionals acquires Nature West The company also hired Adrian Riveras to serve as a maintenance manager. Prescott Landscape Professionals , a team based in Arizona, recently announced the acquisition of Nature West. Nature West's Bob Vastine, the owner who started the business 18 years ago in Prescott, is staying on with Prescott Landscape Professionals with his team. Vastine will be running the design/build side of business. This has increased the company’s crew to 15 and the combined experience to 40 years. “We’re thrilled to be able to have this opportunity to expand our business and look forward to working with Bob’s clientele," Prescott Owner Josh Crothers said. "Our service, expertise and attention to detail matches what Bob provided for years. He’s very creative and in tune with the natural environment and his horticultural knowledge is an amazing addition to our services.' In addition, Adrian Riveras has been hired onto Prescott Landscape Professionals as a maintenance manager. He brings 20 years of experience working for national firms as an account manager for residential, commercial, homeowners associations and resort properties in Arizona. He will be assisting with customer service, quality control, estimates and client follow-up. Happy New Year! MOLINE, Ill. –  John Deere is updating its line of Worksite Pro attachments with three new angle and five new pickup brooms . The BA72C, BA84C and BA96C angle brooms and the BP72C, BP84C, BR60C, BR72C and BR84C pickup brooms were designed for efficient cleanup in turf, snow and construction applications. Like all Worksite Pro attachments, these angle brooms are optimized to work with John Deere skid-steers and compact track loaders. They’re also compatible with most competitive models. “With new OSHA silica dust exposure rules, contractors are in need of attachments with options that meet these requirements and make contractors more competitive bidders,” said Jessica Hill, program manager, global attachments, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “We designed a new class of brooms to deliver more durability and job site protection to help our customers get the most of out of their investments.” The new pickup brooms offer a solution for dust mitigation challenges and restrictive barriers, like curbs and sidewalks. These pickup brooms feature a 660-mm (26-inch) diameter brush with standard 50/50 poly-wire segments and optional all-polypropylene brush segments, allowing operators to customize the attachment to their job site. The BR models use bolts for brush-contact adjustment, while the BP models incorporate a tool-free system for easy adjustment. BP models feature a 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) single-bevel cutting edge; BR models have a 15.9-mm (0.625-inch) double-bevel cutting edge. Optional 95-liter (25-gallon) broom-mounted or 113.5-liter (30-gallon) roof-mounted water-tank kits are available for dust-suppression applications. An adjustable baffle on BP pickup broom models increases hopper capacity by 22 percent. A front caster wheel on BP models allows the brush to follow ground contours, while a front bumper on BR models provides extra strength and protection when sweeping close to walls or obstacles. An optional 510-mm (20-inch) gutter brush with wire bristles can be mounted on the right or left side of any model pickup broom for collecting material close to curbs. Designed for turf and snow removal applications, the BA model angle brooms feature a hydraulic-angling range of 30 degrees to the right or left of the machine. The 810-mm (32-inch) diameter brush features standard 50/50 poly-wire segments. Optional all-polypropylene brush segments are available for work on softer surfaces. Brush-core removal for bristle replacement requires no tools. Foldaway storage stands help the brush maintain its round shape when not in use. An optional hood extension provides 180-degree brush coverage, while a rubber deflector prevents snow from blowing back onto the machine when winter strikes. An optional 114-liter (30-gallon) roof-mounted water tank kit is available for applications that require dust suppression. For added performance and durability, both the pickup broom and angle brooms feature a heavy-duty, high-torque, bidirectional motor coupled to the brush core through a 63.5-mm (2.5-inch) hex hub. The attachments’ motor and bearing are protected within the broom-frame structure. Motor and bearing separate from the brush core without having to disconnect any hydraulic hoses, eliminating the risk of oil spills or contamination. To learn more, visit JohnDeere.com WASHINGTON  — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army have proposed new definitions of “waters of the United States” in an effort to clarify federal authority under the Clean Water Act. “Our proposal would replace the Obama EPA’s 2015 definition with one that respects the limits of the Clean Water Act and provides states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow local economies,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “For the first time, we are clearly defining the difference between federally protected waterways and state protected waterways. Our simpler and clearer definition would help landowners understand whether a project on their property will require a federal permit or not, without spending thousands of dollars on engineering and legal professionals.”  The agencies’ proposal is the second step in a two-step process to review and revise the definition of “waters of the United States” consistent with President Donald Trump's executive order from 2017 entitled “Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule.”  “EPA and the Army together propose this new definition that provides a clear and predictable approach to regulating ‘waters of the United States.’ We focused on developing an implementable definition that balances local and national interests under the Clean Water Act,” said R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “I have heard from a wide range of stakeholders on Clean Water Act implementation challenges. This proposed definition provides a common-sense approach to managing our nation's waters.” Under the agencies’ proposal, traditional navigable waters, tributaries to those waters, certain ditches, certain lakes and ponds, impoundments of jurisdictional waters, and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters would be federally regulated. It also details what are not “waters of the United States,” such as features that only contain water during or in response to rainfall (e.g., ephemeral features); groundwater; many ditches, including most roadside or farm ditches; prior converted cropland; stormwater control features; and waste treatment systems. The agencies invited written pre-proposal recommendations and received more than 6,000 recommendations that the agencies have considered in developing this proposal. The agencies will take comment on the proposal for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. EPA and the Army will also hold an informational webcast on Jan. 10 and will host a listening session on the proposed rule in Kansas City, KS, on Jan. 23. Winter launches new skid shoe assemblies The Arctic and ProTech pusher box plows can now be outfitted with the Carbide Matrix based skid shoes.