BASF Professional Vegetation Management's Quality Vegetation Management (QVM) is a standard for vegetation-management practices designed to help vegetation managers in their daily jobs. QVM is a way of thinking and a way of acting. It is a relevant core set of beliefs and principles that guides vegetation managers every day and helps them adopt a higher standard of practice to improve the quality of the important work they regularly perform.

Historically, as part of the forestry market, QVM helped drive the practice of high-quality land management. With its broader reach into all industries, QVM is now a full set of principles that creates and sustains healthy habits through professional, ethical and responsible practices.

Those who become known for practicing QVM are professionals who:

• Restore and improve plant, animal and human habitats

• Seek out and support professional certification and technical training

• Strive to always make a positive environmental change

• Apply herbicide responsibly, using only the necessary amount to achieve desired results

• Protect threatened and endangered species

• Support industry research and development

• Follow label recommendations.

The visible practice and promotion of the QVM methodology is a valuable tool to help educate communities and other interested parties, both inside and outside the vegetation-management industry, on the reality of herbicides and encourage the importance of quality in the practice of vegetation management for the betterment of the environment.

BASF will continue to expand the use of QVM by rolling out more programs throughout 2006.

For more information, visit BASF Professional Vegetation Management at www.vmanswers.com.