Thursday, February 06, 2003 - Colorado's nursery and landscaping industries took a $75 million hit last year because of watering restrictions and other cutbacks associated with the state's historic drought, according to a new report by the Colorado State University Statistical Lab.

The industry eliminated one-fourth of its 60,000 jobs as most municipalities and utilities limited watering lawns to two days a week to conserve water.

The $1.4 billion industry had a 20 percent slip last year in the $300 million payroll it had in 2001, according to the CSU report.

As the drought drags on, officials are already predicting watering restrictions will be stricter than last year for many customers.

The gloomy forecast for watering restrictions may deter home and business owners from even trying to invest in grass, trees and shrubs that they think won't grow.

"The message that's gone out to the public from the water providers is sort of a panic message that we're not going to have enough water," said Dale DeJacamo, president of Green Industries of Colorado, called GreenCO.

"Green Industries of Colorado wants to get the message across to consumers that two-day-a-week watering is sufficient to maintain your landscape."

Lawns and gardens can easily get by on a leaner diet of water if their owners use efficient irrigation systems, soil supplements and plants that require less care, said DeJacamo, a fourth-generation wholesale nursery operator in Denver and president of James Nursery Co. Inc.

GreenCO, an alliance of nine landscape-related trade associations, unveiled a consumer-information campaign Tuesday to help people learn how get their lawns and gardens by on less water.

People with planting, watering and preservation questions can find out how "It's Easy Being Green," the name of the campaign, by talking to any of the 500 members of GreenCO.

Information also is available at GreenCO's website at www.greenco.org