Dear JLARC Committee and Staff,

Soil Science is a key issue written into every Federal Agency code from Corps of Engineers to Forest Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and Health Department, etc. It takes well trained people to deal with regulations, regulation development and to know what soils are capable of doing. Licensure guarantees a minimum but higher level of knowledge base of soils and soil science. Many Federal Agencies hire Soil Science Consultants and those Soil Science Consultants must be Licenced to perform Soil Science. Only a Licensed Professional Soil Scientist knows enough about soils to make the right decisions on a wide variety of applications. 

Licensure for practicing soil science consultants and anybody else who wants to take the test, allows clients and others to obtain some trust, confidence of ability, knowing the LPSS engaged will be answerable to the Client.

Please retain Licensure for Professional Soil Scientists. I support Licensure for Soil Scientists and have since 1986. It took us awhile to get it and now I can see how Licensure benefits the Commonwealth and supports the Soil Scientists interested in Government Contracting and Private Contracting work. Licensure for Professional Soil Scientists is a Win-Win.

Thank you for your support of Licensure for Soil Scientists