AMTOPP Celebrating 22 Years!  On January 27, 1990, twenty-five Greens Industry like minded people got together and formed the Association of the Montana Turf & Ornamental Professionals (AMTOP).  This group of people discussed the purpose of this new association and the benefits it would provide members of this industry and the public served, throughout the state of Montana. Five of the original twenty-five served as president of AMTOP throughout the twenty two year existence of AMTOP.  The dedication of this group of people to shape and form AMTOP from the very first meeting to now is an indication of their commitment to sustain AMTOP and the professionalism of our industry for the past twenty years.  The AMTOP membership voted in the additional "P" in AMTOPP at the 2007 17th Annual Winter Conference to represent "Pest" and incorporated into the new logo (2008) created according to the AMTOPP by-laws.  The AMTOPP by-laws were adopted June 23, 1990 with only a few amendments over the years. The AMTOPP membership represents a diversivied, yet unified membership consisting of a large array of disciplines with in the private and public sectors of the Greens Industry in the state of Montana.  We have lawn care, sprinkler installation, arborists, structural pest specialists, landscape maintenance & landscape installation, ornamental specialists, landscape designers .........! The AMTOPP Board of Directors values the vast knowledge and input our members provide to ensure our industry stays strong and continues to benefit our businesses, our customers and our community through our affiliations within the AMTOPP Membership and beyond. AMTOPP gives back to our veterans and our communities through our Summer Field Day event.  AMTOPP developed Summer Field Day, fashioned from our experiences at the Renewal and Remembrance at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C., as an opportunity for our membership to thank our veterans and the families of the armed forces for sacrificing their time and lives for our freedoms.  We volunteer as a group and share our expertises needed at a local Veterans' Cemetery in Montana.  We fertilize the lawns, deep root feed trees, pruning and tree removal to name a few tasks performed.  AMTOPP has volunteered at the Columbia Falls Veterans' Home, Hospital and Cemetery alternating years with the Eastern Montana Veterans' Cemetery in Miles City, for the last six years.   Our last Summer Field Day in Miles City was another great event.  We volunteered 40 total man hours in a single morning, put down a couple of tons of fertilizer, pruned and deep root fed all of the trees on the site, as well as some weed control.  AMTOPP thanks Wilbur-Ellis Inc. and Warne Chemical & Equipment Company for their generous donations of products year after year!  We could not be so productive without their help.  This is a very rewarding experience for all involved.  August 18, 2012 is the next Summer Field Day at the Columbia Falls Veterans' Home, Hospital and Cemetery.  AMTOPP is very involved in legislative issues that arise governing our industry on a state and national level.  AMTOPP works with the Montana Department of Agriculture on state and local issues, and on a national level we work with PLANET and RISE.  The AMTOPP Board of Directors annually sends the AMTOPP President and Vice President to Washington D.C. for Legislative Day on the Hill to meet with our state legislators to voice Green Industry concerns/challenges in our state.  Historically, we have represented pending legislation on water, labor, pesticides, funding for urban forests etc. The AMTOPP Board of Directors put on an Annual Winter Conference filled with amazing learning opportunities from nationally and regionally respected experts in their fields, exhibitors offering information and products most suited for our environments, and from our peers!  Members are also able to earn continuing education credits for their licenses and certifications, including the Montana Department of Agriculture, International Society of Arboriculture and Urban IPM.  The 22nd Annual Winter Conference and Trade Show at Fairmont Hot Springs this past January 29, 30, & 31, 2012, was another great learning experience for all who participated.    AMTOPP offered an opportunity for AMTOPP members to get First Aid/CPR certified prior to the start of the conference.  Our members took home new ideas from seminars, exhibitors, and from their colleagues, to apply to their business or work.  Fairmont Hot Springs venue provides a Montana ambiance and fun for all who attend, including family members!   Fairmont proved to be so accomodating at our previous conferences, AMTOPP will stay at Fairmont for 2013!   See you January 28 - 29, 2013 for AMTOPP's 23rd Annual Winter Conference and Trade Show! The AMTOPP membership & Board of Directors work very hard to ensure our industry is improving with knowledge,  instilling the importance of our industry in a positvie manner to the public and contributing to our communities by enhancing the enviornment we all live in.