Getting started three years ago in my current position with GCSAA meant dealing with a great deal of change. Gone were the days of looking after my 185 acres and worrying about things like weather, mole crickets and staff disputes. Now, my frame of reference is far more broad. I work with seven different states in my region, as well as staying on top of national issues that face the golf industry. I could see that the potential was there to get involved in things far bigger than I had previously experienced. Little did I know that listening to Chava McKeel speak about something called the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Taskforce would add a completely different aspect to my focus and forever change the way I look at environmental issues and the role that state and federal government play in those issues.
Being the curious person that I am, I did some research about the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Taskforce. As usual, I started with a Google search and wound up on the EPA's Hypoxia 101 website. The page gave a good explanation of what hypoxia is, but I was shocked when I saw the list of possible contributors to the nutrients that were responsible for the "dead zone" in the Gulf. Nestled right between agriculture and home lawn fertilization was golf courses. That observation started a mission for me that is still going strong today — working with state and federal water regulators to find out what, if any, impact the golf industry had on the dead zone in the Gulf. I wrote several emails and made many phone calls to the EPA trying to learn more about the Hypoxic zone only to get answering machines and no email replies. A few weeks went by when I got a call from a number that I didn't recognize. It was an EPA staff member who was working on the Hypoxia Taskforce and she was in the neighboring state. I tried my best not to be defensive for my profession while on the phone call and after several minutes of discussion the EPA staffer suggested I get in touch with the people at the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) where I might be able to find some answers to my many questions.
After gathering some information about GOMA on the internet, I reached out to the executive director and arranged a visit to her office, which was only a 45-minute drive from my house. Laura Bowie was welcoming and willing to listen to my constant stream of questions and I think she was a bit surprised by my enthusiasm for the environment and my willingness to get involved. Near the end of an hour-plus conversation, she suggested that I should get involved with one of the GOMA teams and attend the upcoming All Hands meeting in Biloxi. I was placed on the Water
Resources team and started to read all the team information in preparation for the big meeting.
My first All Hands meeting was a bit overwhelming. Surrounded by 300 state, federal and NGO workers, I was feeling very alone. But, once the three-day meeting got underway, I realized that everyone was there for the same reason, improving the health and well-being of the Gulf of Mexico and the residents of the five states that surround it. I got to meet many brilliant people who work on a myriad of human and marine issues that exist in the Gulf and it opened my eyes to the complexity of the problems, both ecological and social. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the other team members were interested in why someone from the golf industry was in attendance. It wasn't long and I started to feel like I did belong with this group and I got the chance to build relationships with people from all corners of government.
My second All Hands meeting just concluded several weeks ago and it was great to see so many of the people from the previous year, many of whom are now my friends. Also, as a result of building this network of professionals, I have been asked to work on several projects in my hometown and within the state. I am now able to put golf course properties together with local watershed managers to the benefit of both. Maybe the most important part of getting involved with GOMA is the fact that many staff members of the EPA, NOAA, USGS, NFWF and state water managers know that the golf industry is a great partner to have when working on water and environmental issues. This whole process is still relatively new to me and I have plenty to learn going forward but I would encourage GCSAA members to get involved with your local watershed groups because you will gain much more than you give and the relationships you will build will open many doors going forward.
Get involved, you'll be glad you did!
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