Turf Times _ The newsletter from the Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association Bi-Monthly Update May/June Volume 32, No. 2 6^5-3 President’s Message Greetings, and welcome to another great summer season in Northern Michigan. Even though I truly enjoy our winter months, I look forward to June, July and Au­ gust so much more. This president’s message has one very important topic, GCSAA’s Professional Development Initiative. PDI begins on July 1, 2003 so read up and get ready for some great changes. GCSAA has been developing PDI since 1997 with the vision of developing better golf course management skills for superintendents. To accomplish this vision, they have developed a comprehensive continuing education program based on five specific areas. They are: resource utilization, operations management, communica­ tion, leadership and personal skills. Within these five categories, there are 48 key competencies specified as necessary for golf course superintendents to fulfill their job requirements. The competency based education ensures that the information you and your position re­ quire address your specific needs of employment. Did you know that in the year 2000, 74% of employers paid for their superintendents’ continuing professional development? I think GCSAA has developed an excellent new strategy to keep its members on the leading edge of this industry. Here are the nuts and bolts of PDI. Current GCSAA Class A, Superintendent Members and Class C members have been grandfathered into this new GCSAA initiative. New entry level Class A GCSAA members have separate requirements; go to gcsaa.org for more details. These requirements will encom­ pass a combination of education and service points along with proof that you possess a current pesticide license or have passed GCSAA’s IPM exam during your renewal cycle, you may begin earning the neces­ sary education and service points anytime after July 1, 2003. In order to phase in these new requirements, GCSAA will randomly group current Class A members (other that current certified superintendents) into an initial three, four or five year renewal cycle. If you are in the three year cycle you will need three points (minimum of 1.2 must be education points). The four year cy­ cle will need four points (minimum of 1.6 must be education points.) The five year cycle will need five points (minimum of 2.0 must be education points.) After completing your renewal cycle, you will then re­ new your Class A status every five years, requiring five points (minimum of 2.0 must be education points). As with entry-level requirements, you must also submit proof of a pesticide license at some point in the five years or pass GCSAA’s IPM exam as mentioned above. A very important part of this professional development program is that it is on a volunteer basis. You may elect to maintain your membership as a Superintendent Member, whereby there would be no ongoing re­ quirements for that classification, the choice is yours. I think the Class A status will hold much more value to employers than the Superintendent Member status will hold in the future. (Continued on page 3) MAY 2 8 "^2 Water News from Greg Lyman I have a few updates regarding the water use issues. First is a legislative update, the second is a GAAMP's I update and the third is an interesting news article. First, the legislation. The Senate Bill 289 was successfully voted out of the Senate last week and is now re­ ferred to the House of Representatives. The Senate Bill is designed to accomplish three primary initiatives 1. Enhance the Current Water Use Reporting Scheme 2. Create a State-wide Aquifer Inventory and Map 3. Create a State-wide Groundwater Advisory Committee The other important aspect of the Senate Bill is that it is formally tied to the House Bill 4087 that was adopted by the House of Representatives in March. It is designed to create a conflict resolution system for water withdrawals. It engages the DEQ and the MDA to attempt a reasonable solution for those involved in water withdrawal problems rather that going directly to the court system. It was patterned after a system that is currently used in Illinois. The Senate Bill 289 has been sent to the House of Representatives for evaluation in committee and if passed out of committee will be eligible for a vote on the floor. If passed there, it will go the Governor for signing into law. Currently, the Senate committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs is involved in refining the conflict resolution portion of the package. New substitute language is expected today. Stay Tuned. Secondly, the latest version of the Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Plans for irrigation is | available. These plans will be available for public comment soon. I will be sending them along for your in­ put in the coming weeks after they have been released by the MDA Agricultural Commission. The turf in­ dustry will be making irrigation BMP's directly from this document once it has been adopted by the Ag Commission. Finally, I have included an article from the Associated Press describing the potential for future water wars in a report released by the US Department of Interior. The article those areas where water conflicts are likely in the future and I wonder what pressure it puts on the Great Lakes Basin over the next 25 years. I have included the article below. Study: Future Water Wars Likely in West By SETH HETTENA, Associated Press Writer SAN DIEGO - Political and legal conflicts over the water supply are highly likely in seven of the West's biggest cities by 2025, a federal study found. The Interior Department identified Las Vegas; Reno, Nev.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Denver; Houston; Salt Lake City; and Flagstaff, Ariz., as cities where conflict is most likely over the next two decades. Two major waterways, the Rio Grande and the Colorado River, also were named "highly likely" sources of conflict. "It may simply be a situation where people want to water their lawns or irrigate their fields and there simply is not enough water available," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said. ( (Continued on page 3) Page 2 (Continued from page 2) A department initiative would focus money and technology to develop ways to conserve water, improve ^structures such as dams and reservoirs and stretch water resources to last in those critical areas. The department said a lesser, but still "substantial" possibility of water wars exists in other Western cities, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Calif., San Diego, Phoenix and San Antonio. A third level of cities had a "moderate" chance of future conflict, including Seattle; Dallas; Casper, Wyo.; Boise, Idaho and Salem, Ore. The study was based on population trends, rainfall records, water capacity and storage and habitats of en­ dangered species, said Assistant Interior Secretary Bennett Raley. Overtapped water supplies could in the worst-case scenario spark a repeat of 2001 turmoil over the Klamath River, Norton said. Armed federal officers were called in after farmers along the Oregon waterway pried open irrigation gates in anger when the government shut off their water to help endangered fish. Environmentalists and tribal leaders say Norton's subsequent decision to divert water to 1,400 farms killed 33,000 salmon in the river last year. The department study said the basin had a "substantial" possibility for sparking conflict again by 2025. 'Continuedfrom page I) The best part of PDI is the new education and service point sources. See the Class A Code of Standards for a detailed list of point sources and how they are verified. Most of you would already be receiving points if PDI had started last year. Some of the point examples are; the spring mini-conference, chapter meetings with and without education, non-paid voluntary community service, local or state boards and committees, an informative speech, first aid training, national conference attendance, GCSAA seminars, state turf con­ ference and hopefully programs like the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program and dis­ tributor education seminars will receive some points. Now, that wasn’t so bad was it? If you have any question concerning PDI, make sure you call GCSAA at 800-472-7878 or log on to gcsaa.org for more information. Thanks for your time and have a great summer. Membership Renewal Sticker Your 2003 NMTMA Directory has been mailed out and should be in your hands by now. If you have not received this yet, please contact Kay Patrick at: 517-327-5474 or e-mail her at mtftuf@msn.com Thank you for your patience on waiting for the completion of another wonderful directory. Page 3 The NMTMA appreciates the support from the following businesses IRRIGATION* *FERTILIZER, CHEMICAL & SEED* *EQUIPMENT, SERVICE & SUPPLIES* John Deere One Source Rhino Seed and Supply Great Lakes Turf Equipment One Source for All Your GolfNeeds VV ; Next Day Deli very Guaran teed! Quality Used Turf Equipment (800) 642-3706 / (231) 632-3337 (800) 790-1898/(800) 677-1006 (248)640-1174 *SOD, SOIL, & CONSTRUCTION* Lesco, Inc. Spartan Distributors Mark Hensley Your Full Line Toro Distributor Tri Turf Soils, Inc. (800)321-5325 (800) 822-2216 “USGA Screened Soils” (231) 943-7806 / (888) 616-7806 Sweeney Seed Company Weingartz Golf & Turf It Pays To Plant The Best Distributor ofJohn Deere Equipment Great Lakes Golf Construction, Inc. (989) 773-5391 / (800) 344-2482 (616) 696-2913 / (248) 295-0105 Experts In Remodel & Repair (231) 582-6783 / (231) 582-5269 FAX Tri-Turf *GOLF CART SALES & SERVICE* “A Warehouse On Wheels ” Huggett Sod Farm, Inc. (231) 943-8343 / (800) 636-7039 Boylan Sales, Inc.—Yamaha Golf Cars Bent & Bluegrass Sod, Shade & Ornamental Trees Jim Atchison (989) 635-7482 Turfgrass, Inc. (269) 685-6828 I (269) 437-2602—Cell Serving Northern Michigan From Gaylord Beck Sod Farm, Inc. (989) 705-8180 / (866) 705-8180 Kodiak Equipment Company David Beck Golf Cars, Parts, Service, Rentals, Accessories (989) 864-35491 (800) 968-2325 Turf Chemicals, Inc. (888) 746-0800—Kalkaska / (866) 743-6817—Flint Russ Hancock Great Lakes Bentgrass (989) 725-7145/(800) 733-7145 Finest Quality Sand Grown Sod (734) 677-3618 United Horticultural Supply *TIRES & TUBES* Steve Fent *CONTRACT SERVICES* (989) 277-4704 Tire Wholesalers Company Dan Cress Turf Services, Inc. *OTHER* (231) 775-6666 / (231) 775-8810 Matt Heiss (616) 842-4975 Holiday Inn Grayling (989) 348-7611 / (800) 292-9055 and we encourage you to support them Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association P.O. Box 80086 Lansing, Michigan 48908 l.0* cuii 1111111 < 11111111 ■ t > 11 > 11111111! ■ 11 < i 1111 ■ 11111111,1, {