WCTA Status Report May 2016

prepared by Jerry Rousseau

PART 1 – Activity Report
Our largest annual undertaking, the 53rd Annual WCTA Conference and Trade Show held for the first time in Whistler, BC, is now part of this association's history. 

Feedback on the education program, food, venue, service and surroundings, among other things, was tremendously positive and we’re very happy that both exhibitors and delegates thoroughly enjoyed the event.  

• 256 delegate participants and a grand total of 444 turf management industry personnel made their way to Whistler to take part.   
• net revenue slightly surpassed our expectations due in large part to excellent support of the trade show and education program sponsorship.
• $10,471 was raised for turf research project funding from our annual Silent Auction ($5211), Kwantlen Turf Club Student Raffle ($4010) and the BCGSA contribution ($1250).  Thanks everyone for the support!

Conference post-production takes about 2 months but by early spring, staff focus shifts to many other activities like:

• First Green event planning.  The next pilot event takes place May 26 in the Township of Langley and will be the first sportsfield oriented First Green ever held.  We hope to host another golf course version before the end of this school year.
• Summer event planning.  A summer field day scheduled for August 25th in Calgary has been announced and further details are in the works. 
• Bolstering our communication efforts by moving to 4 digital Turf Line News magazines plus 2 hardcopies per year (from 4 hardcopy).
• Resuming work on tracking software for pesticide applicator points.  Phase 3 is complete and work on Phases 4 and 5 have begun with the goal of having the system operational later this summer.
• Starting all over again!  Planning and production work on the 54th Annual Conference and Trade Show, taking place February 15-17 in Penticton, BC is already underway.  Our vision is to provide an affordable, world-class event focused on the regional needs of golf course, sportsfield and other turf management professionals. 

PART 2 – Advocacy and Regulatory Update
IPM
BC M.O.E. staff did a talk on IPM regulation changes at the Whistler conference which will come into force July 1st, 2016.  The ministry will continue to focus on education versus enforcement for the time being.  All golf courses will now be required to:

• obtain a pesticide use licence ($250 annually)
• submit an IPM program report to the gov’t annually
• hire or contract certified pesticide applicators
• post signage when applying pesticide products

The new rules also allow for Assistant Applicators as before but online training and examination is required.  The AA website is now live at http://mytrainingbc.ca/assistantapplicator/

BC MOE has committed an additional $20k in funding for updating the Turf Management IPM manual.  As previously reported, the Environmental Advocacy Committee unanimously choose Mario Lanthier of CropHealth Advising & Research to update the IPM Manual.  The Committee felt that Crophealth met or exceeded all required components of the RFP.  Expected cost is $30k - $40k.

PMRA proposes registration cancellation of two major turf fungicides
Chlorothalonil – WCTA Director Jim Ross is currently writing a submission to the PMRA on behalf of our members.  I have been in touch with Christian Pilon, who has been tasked to do the same for the CGSA, and we have agreed to work cooperatively on our respective submissions.   I have also left messages for Dennis McKernan, AGSA and Steve Kerbra, BCGSA, in an effort to consolidate our efforts.  We have a copy of the OGSA’s response, submitted some time ago, for reference.

Iprodione – similar action as above is pending

Water Use
Metro-Vancouver water restrictions automatically came into force May 15, 2 weeks earlier than previous.  AGA-BC’s recommendations brought forward at last December’s meeting were not taken into consideration and golf courses will not be allowed to manage their use of potable water.

Messaging to Metro-Van authorities this past December included:
• The golf industry understands the importance of water conservation, wants to work with Metro-Vancouver on this issue and notes this policy has wide-reaching impact throughout the province.
• Golf courses have well-documented benefits to the environment, especially in urban centres.  The golf industry has an already proven track record in environmental stewardship including managing our water resource at all times, not just in drought situations and has invested heavily in water management systems.   Golf uses water wisely and efficiently with built-in incentives.
• Golf courses are businesses and very large contributors to the economy.  They are a source of tax revenue and employment.
• There is a large social and environmental benefit to golf courses in our urban communities.  Golf courses serve as valuable community assets.  They are an important recreational outlet for hundreds of thousands of Metro-Vancouver citizens (golfers live longer).
• Golf needs actively growing grass to function.  Golf wants to be able to manage the water resource versus be restricted by well-meaning but less effective regulatory framework that negatively effects the golf product.
• Golf can set an example for other industries and the public, and can assist with messaging, ie. reinforce the importance of conservation to hundreds of thousands of golfers.

Recommendations for improvements to the water use management plan included:
• Any plan should be pragmatic.
• Regulation should focus on water use management vs. arbitrary restrictions by time and/or area like the strategies in the 1993 GCRD water use plan and more recently, in the state of California.
• Ensure the public and media are informed (of water restrictions) in a manner that does not cause unnecessary duress. 
• Ensure that water restrictions are implemented and rescinded objectively.

Potential next steps by the golf industry:
• Solicit & compile industry metrics
    -what courses are on wells, effluent, municipal o number of irrigated acres
    -actual water use by volume
    -more detailed economic impact data for Metro-Vancouver area
    -more efforts applauding the environmental benefits of golf courses and turfgrass
    -further research into what other areas are doing, present this information to decision-makers
    -determine AGA-BC’s final position and create a resource for golf courses to use

PART 3 – Office Report
Final dues notice for 2017 is away.  About 82% of members have paid but if you have not remitted, please do so asap.

Respectfully submitted,

Jerry Rousseau
WCTA Executive Director