Federal regulatory advocacy is the process of influencing regulations that affect businesses, consumers and the public. Rulemaking is an important but often overlooked part of the lawmaking process.
The GCSAA government affairs team works on issues at all levels of government. These issues are included in GCSAA’s Priority Issues Agenda, which is recommended by the Government Affairs Committee and approved by the GCSAA Board of Directors.
My primary responsibility is to focus on federal regulatory advocacy. I pay attention to the actions that regulatory bodies are taking that may positively or negatively impact golf course management. I am one of those odd people who enjoy reading a proposed regulation, dissecting it and determining which are the most critical parts to weigh in on. I am responsible for making sure GCSAA members understand what the proposed rule says and teaching individuals how to have their voices heard through written comment submissions.
I find it satisfying to educate government officials (and the public) on superintendents as professional land managers. I find it satisfying to provide education on the composition of a golf course through Golf Course Environmental Profile data. I find it satisfying talking about our best management practices initiative.
How many times have you heard someone say that golf course superintendents apply inputs wall to wall at their course? I hear it all the time and have the opportunity to share that on an average 150-acre property, only 6 acres are intensively managed, incorporating data and science and the use of precision technology.
Federal regulatory outreach can make a difference. It can make even more of a difference when we build coalitions and have the support of GCSAA and its members collectively educating decision-makers.
Case in point: The final interim decisions for chlorothalonil and thiophanate methyl were published in the Federal Register in January. Both of these active ingredients were undergoing Registration Review at EPA. The agency reviews each registered pesticide at least every 15 years to ensure that each pesticide can carry out its intended function(s) without creating unreasonable adverse effects to human health and the environment.
The preliminary interim decisions for chlorothalonil and thiophanate methyl included proposed label restrictions that would have had significant negative impact were they to remain in effect.
The GCSAA government affairs team worked with GCSAA members (including members of the scientific community) to ensure that EPA better understood use of these products on golf courses. Hundreds of GCSAA members shared information on professional land management during the open public comment period, and it made a difference.
Education and outreach matter. We cannot assume regulators understand how you manage your golf course. They need and want to know how you perform your day-to-day job.
You can read what the final label changes are for chlorothalonil and thiophanate methyl that will go into effect in the future by visiting the Advocacy section at GCSAA.org. We have also weighed in on PCNB and acephate and iprodione and are awaiting final decisions on those actives. We are continuing to weigh in on proposals coming out from EPA related to the Endangered Species Act. We are also paying attention to whether EPA will issue a new proposed rule redefining a “Water of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.
Commenting on proposed rules and initiatives is critical no matter what the topic, whether it be on OSHA’s new heat stress standard or the Department of Labor’s H-2B visa rulemakings. Working with other organizations that share mutual goals is also important. Sharing information about how proposed rules impact our industry is paramount.
We will continue to comment on proposed regulations online at regulations.gov. Next up on the plate is the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly as a threatened species and its possible ramifications. In each case, it will be critical we clearly explain our position, provide information about the costs and benefits of the proposed rule, and provide information about the benefits of other policy alternatives.
I welcome the opportunity to work with GCSAA members in 2025 to engage in the policymaking process, not only through rulemaking opportunities, but also at the upcoming National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C. This special advocacy opportunity will take place April 30-May 2 in our nation’s capital. Please register to attend by April 8 at https://www.golfcoalition.org/nationalgolfday.
Chava McKeel is GCSAA’s director of government affairs.