OGCSA Guidelines 2010

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Environmental Stewardship Guidelines

2nd Edition, 2009


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September 14, 2009

Prepared for:

Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association (OGCSA)

Western Washington Golf Course Superintendents Association (WWGCSA)

Northwest Turfgrass Association (NTA)

Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved

Prepared by:

EnviroLogic Resources, Inc.

PO Box 80762

Portland, Oregon 97280-1762

503.768.5121

www.h2ogeo.com

Cover photo by Jim Ramey, Crosswater Golf Club, Sunriver, OR

Environmental Stewardship Guidelines


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Completing a document such as this2nd Edition

OGCSA Environmental Stewardship Guidelines requires

the help o many people. We had a great ounda-

tion or this work and or this we sincerely thank Dr.

Michael Hindahl in memoriam. The 1st Edition o the

Guidelines paved the way or acceptance and promo-

tion o the environmental stewardship practices being

perormed at gol courses in the Paciic Northwest.

Our irst drat o the2nd Edition Guidelines

beneited by contributions rom OGCSA, WWGCSA,

and NTA members o the Northwest Gol Course

Environmental Alliance. Participants in the irst

review sessions included Paul Backman, Allan

Clemens, Ryan Bancrot, Tony Lasher, David Phipps,

Steve Kealy, Jesse Goodling, Rod Nelson, Mike

Combs, Chris Goodman, Dr. Eric Miltner, and Steve

Thun.

The second drat was sent out or wider review by

the regulatory and gol community. We very much

appreciate the time and eort that these people

contributed to make the document more complete.

The organizations that helped and their reviewers

included:

Acknowledgements

Aquatrols .............................. Demie Moore

Audubon International ..............................Joellen Lampman

Gol Course Superintendents Association o America ........................... Greg Lyman

Gol Course Superintendents Association o America ........................... Clark Throssell

Gol Course Superintendents Association o America ........................... Mark Johnson

Kuhn Associates .............................. Scott Kuhn

Oregon Department o Agriculture .............................. Steve Riley

Oregon Department o Environmental Quality .............................. Ranei Nomura/

Ann Levine Oregon Department o Fish and Wildlie .............................. Susan Barnes

Oregon State University .............................. Rob Golembiewski

Pacifc Agricultural Laboratory .............................. Steve Thun

Salmon Sae .............................. Dan Kent

Stewardship Partners .............................. David Burger

Toro Irrigation .............................. Dana Lonn

Washington Department o Ecology .............................. Ron Cummings

Washington State Department o Agriculture ..............................Ann Wick

Washington State University .............................. Eric Miltner

Our last drat was reviewed by the OGCSA

Environmental Committee, which consists o David

Phipps, Alan Nielsen, Bob Fluter, Chris Goodman,

David Freitag, Gordon Kiyokawa, John Westerdahl,

Dr. Eric Miltner, Paul Backman, Rod Nelson, Russ

Vandehay, Ryan Bancrot, Steve Kealy, Steve Thun,

Tod Blankenship, Dr. Tom Cook, and Tony Lasher.

I appreciate the dedication o OGCSA and the

comments provided during these meetings. The

eorts o this group to incorporate environmental

stewardship into gol course management opera-

tions have been extraordinary.


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At EnviroLogic Resources, Melanie Bocianowski

has been an invaluable team member. Her work

developing statistical analyses o the historical gol

course water quality database made it possible

to develop cogent, thorough, and targeted water

quality monitoring programs. Her writing skillswere brought to bear in updating and develop-

ing new text or the2nd Edition Guidelines. Her

indeatigable research eorts allowed us to build

a document that is a cookbook or creating an

Environmental Stewardship Program at a gol

coursenot just in the Paciic Northwestbut

anywhere gol and the environment mix (i.e.,

everywhere).

Other EnviroLogic Resources sta that have

been critical in making this document possible

include Nancy Smith, Jason Howard, John Gunn,

Cheri Baur, and Blair Stephens.

With so many people involved in this eort, I

am sure these acknowledgements are incomplete.

Thank you very much to each and every one o

you.

Tom CalabreseEnviroLogic Resources, Inc.

Portland, Oregon

Ackhowledgements

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Preface 7

Introduction 8

10 Environmental Setting 11

20 Best Management Practices 13

2.1 Buer Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2.2 Turgrass Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.3 Horticulture Management . . . . . . . . . 16

2.4 Fertilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2.5 Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

2.6 Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2.7 Pest Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

2.8 Pesticides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2.9 Petroleum Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

2.10 Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2.11 Saety and Education Program . . . . . 34

30 Integrated PestManagement (IPM) Plan 37

3.1 Area Defnition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

3.2 Turgrass Cultural Practice . . . . . . . . . 39

3.3 Plant Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

3.4 Lake And Aquatic

Plant Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

3.5 Tree Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

3.6 Plant Growth Regulators . . . . . . . . . . 45

3.7 Hydrophobicity Or

Water Repellancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

3.8 Eco-Lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

3.9 Regulation And Legal Issues . . . . . . . 46

40 Water Quality Monitoring 49

4.1 Water Quality Monitoring Plan . . . . . . 49

4.2 Water Quality Sampling Strategies . . 51

4.3 Certifcation Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

4.4 Water Quality

Sampling Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

50 Wellhead Protection Program 59

60 Water Management AndConservation 63

6.1 Water Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

6.2 Water Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6.3 Recycled Or Reclaimed Water . . . . . . 72

70 Wildlife HabitatEnhancement 75

80 Community Outreach 81 8.1 Working with the Community . . . . . . . 81

8.2 Opportunities or

Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . 81

Figures

Figure 1Gol Course Layout

And Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Figure 2Buer Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Figure 3 Water Quality

Sampling Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Figure 4Water Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Figure 5Wildlie & Habitat

Management Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

(continued on next page)

Table of Contents


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Environmental Stewardship Guidelines 7

To be ahead o the curve . . . these were

the words preached in 2000. The Oregon Gol

Course Superintendents Association created the

Environmental Stewardship Guidelines and did

so with sincere enthusiasm and passion or the

environment and industry. Due to mounting

pressure rom individual environmental groups,

pesticide use policies made by local councils,

and rom state and ederal agencies, the OGCSAs

Board o Directors called or an Environmental

Committee. This committee was chaired by Jesse

Goodling, Superintendent at Heron Lakes Gol

Course, and was made up o twelve individuals

rom all acets o the industry. Eleven members othe OGCSA made up the committee, one o which

was Dr. Michael Hindahl. Dr. Hindahl initiated

the momentum o preparing an environmental

document that can be used by Superintendents at

gol courses, parks, and municipalities. Dr. Hindahl

accepted the projects responsibilities and prepared

the vast majority o the document and then submit-

ted it to state agencies, Superintendents, industry

representatives, and educators or review. These

proessionals identiied the need to help educateand inorm the public as well as the need to estab-

lish high standards or those who work in the

Green Industry.

Thanks to Dr. Michael Hindahls help, this initia-

tive was established and produced a well-respected

document, which received national notoriety as

the recipient o the 2004 Presidents Environmental

Stewardship Award rom the Gol Course

Superintendents Association o America. Beore his

passing in 2005, Dr. Hindahl had a desire to incor-

porate more principles into the document. Moving

orward with Dr. Hindahls vision, the Oregon Gol

Course Superintendents Association along with the

support o the Western Washington Gol Course

Superintendents Association and the Northwest

Turgrass Association have embarked on a compre-

hensive update to the Guidelines. The Oregon Gol

Course Superintendents Association hopes that this

document will be useul to anyone operating an

environmentally sustainable property.

Once again, Thank you to Dr. Michael Hindahl,

whose passion or gol and the environment has

resulted in a document that helps bring gol and

the environment closer together. His work has

helped to mold the joy o the game with the

beauty that surrounds it in an environmentally

riendly way. With all his donated time, energy, and

devotion to the spirit o the game, he continues to

inspire many in the Green Industry to strive orhigher standards.

Ryan Bancrot

Past President

OGCSA

Preace

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8

The role o the gol course Superintendent

has evolved into a multitask occupation in which

a broad range o complex issues inluences gol

course management practice. One area o respon-

sibility that has become increasingly inluential

in directing gol course management decisions is

that o environmental stewardship. Environmental

stewardship was irst ormalized in 1996 by

the United States Gol Association (USGA) and

partners through the Environmental Principles

or Gol Courses in the United States (www.

usga.org/tur/articles/environment/general/

environmental_principles.html). These precepts

orm the backbone o most subsequent environ-mental stewardship programs. The Oregon Gol

Course Superintendents Association (OGCSA),

Western Washington Gol Course Superintendents

Association (WWGCSA) and the Northwest

Turgrass Association (NTA) acknowledge the

importance o environmental steward-

ship, and are committed to

promoting gol course manage-

ment practices that protect and

enhance the environment.

In March 2000 the OGCSA, under

the guidance o Dr. Michael Hindahl,

ormed a committee to identiy and

develop a proactive approach to assist

gol course Superintendents with the

development o environmental steward-

ship programs. The resulting Environmental

Stewardship Plans are equivalent to environ-

mental management systems (EMS) that

allow the Superintendents to perorm sel-audits

and use adaptive management in order to best

manage their gol course. The Environmental

Stewardship program is a voluntary program.

A review o resources and regulatory guidance

available at the time revealed that a standardized

ormat or documenting environmental steward-

ship at gol courses in Oregon was lacking. As a

result, the committee decided to create the OGCSA

Environmental Stewardship Guidelines to meet the

ollowing objectives:

Provide Superintendents with a structured,

simple to use ormat to assist in the develop-

ment o documented, gol course-speciic

environmental stewardship programs;

Provide meaningul and useul eedback to

the Superintendent regarding the compatibil-

ity o management practices with the envi-

ronment;

Provide an eicient and eective means

o documenting management practices to

address a broad array o environmental

issues; and

Contribute to the development o

uniorm practices within the gol course

industry.

Dr. Hindahl helped develop the

original OGCSA Guidelines and beore

his passing away, had begun updatingthe Guidelines. He was an OGCSA

board member who held a Ph.D. in

microbiology and had extensive

research experience. Quoting

David Phipps, Stone Creek Gol

Club Superintendent, Without

Dr. Hindahls pioneering eorts,

the OGCSA would never have been

able to accomplish the level o environmental

responsibility we now enjoy.

The primary design goal or the Guidelines was

to develop a set o comprehensive well-balanced

environmental stewardship standards. To meet

this goal, a variety o resources were utilized

during the development o the document includ-

ing the Portland (Oregon) Parks and Recreation

Introduction


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9

Pest Management Policy, Best Management Practices

for Golf Course Development and Operation (King

County Environmental Division), the Audubon

Cooperative Sanctuary Program or Gol Courses,

the Florida Gol Courses Best Management

Practices, Agricultural Water Management andConservation Planning (Oregon Water Resources

Department), GCSAA/EIFG, USGA Green Section,

NRCS, NTA, Washington State University (WSU),

proessional organizations, historical data, and

turgrass literature. Additionally, input rom

Superintendents, industry representatives, the

Oregon Department o Environmental Quality, and

Oregon State University was incorporated to yield

the inalized document, which included sections on

Best Management Practices (BMPs), Integrated PestManagement (IPM), Water Quality Monitoring, and

Wildlie Habitat Enhancement.

The Guidelines were introduced to the OGCSA

membership in November 2000, and over time,

a number oGuidelines-based environmental

stewardship programs have been implemented

at gol courses in Oregon and Washington. As

Superintendents gained experience utilizing the

Guidelines, a number o constructive suggestions

regarding improvements to the Guidelines havebeen received. Accordingly, the experience-based

eedback has been used to generate a revised and

updated version o the Environmental Stewardship

Guidelines, which ollows.

The continuing intent o the Guidelines is to

provide a lexible system or Superintendents to

use in the development o documented and eec-

tive environmental stewardship programs. For

example, while the combination o more than eight

sections o the Guidelines establishes a comprehen-

sive environmental stewardship program, depend-

ing on the circumstances, the Superintendent may

elect to use one or more o the sections (e.g., IPM

plan) to meet the needs o the gol course. The

Guidelines are used by gol courses in examining

their practices with respect to the environment and

identiying improvements that can be made to help

improve environmental conditions at the acility.

Other issues a gol course may want to consider as

a whole include science-based evaluations o their

carbon ootprint, energy eiciency, green house gas

emissions, and green purchasing.

While a major objective o the Guidelines is

to address environmental issues o concern to

the gol industry and community, the possibility

always exists that expectations in local or regional

locations may dier rom the inormation presented

in these Guidelines. Accordingly, ederal, state,

and local regulations, as well as permit conditions

should always be reviewed and used as the inal

basis or the development o individual environ-

mental stewardship programs. Indeed, the incor-

poration o the Guidelines into new gol course

development or renovation permit applications and

operations plans may provide the best means or

communicating environmental commitment at the

gol course to the regulators.

Through the documentation developed during

implementation o the Guidelines, gol courses can

demonstrate to the public the positive contribu-

tion a course can have on the environment. Thegol course Superintendent should prepare a binder

that contains the environmental management

plans (Best Management Practices, Integrated Pest

Management Plan, Water Quality Monitoring Plan,

Wellhead Protection Plan, Water Conservation

Plan, Wildlie Habitat Enhancement Plan, and

Community Involvement Plan). I a plan is

modiied (through the Action Plan orm included

herein), these updates, data, and inormation devel-

oped through implementing the plan, would be

included in the binder as well, creating a complete

record o the environmental eorts and achieve-

ments at the gol course.

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10

Introduction

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watershed may help the gol course Superintendent

to understand how management activities can eect

the surrounding environment. In addition, activities

conducted by other land owners in the watershed

can aect conditions at the gol course.

Issues encountered at gol courses by

Superintendents include wellhead protection, local

watershed management, water conservation, eec-

tively using plant management products and their

potential eects on the environment, and new rules

rom government agencies. Existing and new rules

may all under multiple regulatory segments. A list

o rules and regulations are included inAppendix

A. The ollowing is a list o some o the regulatory

rameworks that could inluence the operations o a

gol course:

303(d)

Stormwater

NPDES Requirements

Nearby Contaminated Sites

Wellhead Protection Ordinances

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenti-

cide Act (FIFRA)

Puget Sound Partnership

Waste Management

Spill Response

Water Right Permit Regulations

Portions o the Environmental Stewardship

Program depend on characterizing conditions

locally around the gol course (e.g., wellhead

protection).

A map displaying the percentage o impervious

area at the gol course demonstrates that a small

percentage o the gol course is impervious. The

majority o the gol course is suitable or manag-

ing storm water in a variety o ways, and urban

drainage systems are oten unneled through gol

courses.

Other inormation to consider showing on maps

as part o the documentation o the gol course

Environmental Stewardship Program includes:

Localwatershedandlandusemaps

AerialPhotographs SitePhotographs

FEMAmapuse.EPAWatershedsite.

Soilsurveymaps:WebSoilSurveyat

www.nrcs.usda.gov/

Depending on the amount o inormation avail-

able or a gol course, more than one map describ-

ing conditions/eatures may be useul.

12

Environmental Setting


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Best Management Practices

14 Oregon Chapter GCSAA

While the BMPs are suitable as written or many

gol courses, revisions may be necessary to ully

describe gol course-speciic BMPs. In this regard, a

review o the BMPs listed in this section serves as a

valuable tool or the Superintendent to assess his or

her current practices, and to identiy strengths andweaknesses. BMPs assist the gol course superinten-

dent in evaluating objectives in the context o the

individual circumstances at the gol course and in

determining a preerred way to implement a task.

Some BMPs may not be applicable in all situations.

Additionally, a set o example orms or use

in documenting ertilizer applications, pesticide

applications, IPM scouting, sta training, and

modiications to the BMP program can be ound

in Appendix F. Record keeping is a very important

component o the BMP program, and serves as the

basis or sel-auditing o implementation peror-

mance. An audit program should be included as

part o the Environmental Stewardship Guidelines.

I questions arise regarding speciics o the

ollowing BMPs, they should be addressed by cross-

reerencing appropriate guidance rom relevant

resources whenever possible. Examples o avail-

able resources include the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), the Oregon Department

o Environmental Quality (DEQ), Washington

Department o Ecology (DOE), Oregon and

Washington State Departments o Agriculture,

Oregon and Washington Occupational Saety and

Health Divisions (OSHA), the ire marshal, the

universal building code, and the universal ire code.

The BMPs will be continually reviewed and

revised over time to relect changes in the level o

knowledge and changes at the gol courses. BMPsimplemented at the gol course should be revisited

when water quality data indicate a change may be

in order or additional BMPs are adopted.

Development o a gol course-speciic BMP plan

can be accomplished in several ways. The BMPs

deined in the Guidelines are available through an

online BMP development tool that is available at

www.greengolfusa.com. Using this tool, BMPs can

be selected and a ormatted electronic document

that relects the selections can be downloaded by

the gol course Superintendent. Alternatively, the

Superintendent can create his own plan using theseGuidelines. BMPs are divided into the ollowing

sections:

BufferZones;

TurfgrassCulture;

HorticultureManagement;

Fertilization;

Irrigation;

Environmental; PestManagement;

Pesticides;

PetroleumProducts;

WasteManagement;

SafetyandEducationProgram;and

EnvironmentalStewardshipProgram.


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2.1 BUFFER ZONES

Buer zones can provide important beneits,

including temperature modulation, erosion control,

sedimentation prevention, iltering instream

and riparian habitat, biodiversity, and landscape

connectivity or wildlie.

1. Establish buer zones near waterways where

appropriate. An example o a map showing

buer zones is presented onFigure 2. Con-

sistent with the remainder o this document,

an average 25-oot application buer zone is

suggested along natural water bodies. How-

ever, the width o the buer zone may beless (as low as zero) i the buer zone would

interere with the playability o the gol

course. For example, buer zones may be

less when located near a green or tee. With

proper ertilizer and pesticide application,

turgrass can be located adjacent to a water

body with a limited buer zone when neces-

sary but applications need to be careully

controlled.

2. Design buer widths to vary in accordance

with landscape position and potential pollut-

ants entering the buer at a speciic location.

Minimum buer widths will vary with theintended buer unction and the speciic site

conditions including hydrogeology, slope,

vegetation types, soil type, presence o wet-

lands, the type o nutrient or pollutant to be

removed, and the gol course layout.

3. Locate vegetated buers between water bod-

ies, wetlands, and wellheads and any poten-

tial pollution sources such as ertilized areas

or runo producing areas, such as impervi-

ous suraces and seasonally saturated areas.


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4. Use act sheets developed by the Environmen-

tal Institute or Gol to establish buer zones

(http://www.eifg.org/water/default.asp ). Bu-

er zones may also be a requirement o the

use instructions or pesticides and must be

ollowed.

5. Limit ertilizer applications to the extent prac-

tical in deined buer zones. Separate action

thresholds must be deined or application o

pesticides within buer zones.

6. Investigate whether waterways on the gol

course have additional restrictions or pesti-

cides in buer zones in regard to the Wash-

ington Toxics Coalition versus EPA, January

22, 2004 - the ederal judges order identiies

buer zone to be the distance between the

waterway, measured at the ordinary high

water mark, and where the pesticide active

ingredient can be applied. Generally, buer

zones o 20 yards are required when mak-

ing applications o aected active ingredients

using ground equipment. Not all pesticide

active ingredients have a court deined bu-

er zone requirementjust certain ones

that might harm salmonids. Not all bodies

o water have court-deined buer zonesjust ones that have or may have endangered

and threatened salmon species. Visit www.

streamnet.org to use the Paciic Northwest

interactive mapper, which shows ish distri-

bution and data or streams in the Northwest,

to decipher whether the stream on the gol

course is a threatened salmon-bearing stream.

The streamnet website also includes a critical

habitat mapper and stream data. The ODA

website www.oregon.gov/ODA/PEST/buffers.shtml provides inormation on the court case,

the ederal rulings to present, and provides

links to useul websites such as the one listed

above. The list o pesticides banned in these

speciic buer zones is included inAppendix

B.

2.2 TURFGRASS CULTURE

Cultural practices on a gol course can have a

signiicant impact on turgrass health, growth, and

playability. Healthy turgrass is more tolerant o

pest pressures. It is important to develop location

speciic cultural practices (i.e., greens, approaches,

tees, airways, rough, out o play surace waters,

and naturalized areas). These cultural practices can

be modiied based upon microclimates (i.e., shade,

slope, or exposure to sun and wind).

221 Mowing

Set mowing height appropriately or location.

Adjust mowing height to relieve turgrass

stress when necessary. Increase mowing height or turgrass grown

in shade.

Maintain sharp blades or a clean cut to

reduce turgrass stress.

Remove clippings rom greens. Leave clip-

pings on tees, airways, and rough, where

easible. Dispose o collected clippings by

scattering them in the rough, as opposed to

stockpiling them in the woods (unless a con-trolled composting program is in place). Do

not stockpile within 25 eet o surace waters.

222 Surace and Soil ProfleManagement

Gol course playing suraces perorm best when

a irm, sandy soil proile is developed or turgrass

growth.


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MaintainalowsoilpHbyusinghigh

levels o errous sulate with high rates o

water requently.

Applyminimalphosphoroustolimitseed

head production.

Applylowratesofnitrogen.

Applylowratesofpaclobutrazol.

Minimize soil disturbance

Performregulardeepneedletineaerifica-

tion (monthly).

Usesmoothrollersongreensmowers.

Aerifyonlyatthestartofthegrowingsea-

son unless needed to improve drainage

locally. Overseedwithbentgrass.

2.3 HORTICULTURE MANAGEMENT

In addition to turgrass, gol courses also have

other types o vegetation, including trees, ornamen-

tal plantings, and lower beds. Eective manage-

ment o these eatures can be complementary and

supportive o turgrass growth and environmental

initiatives undertaken by the gol course.

231 Tree Management

Select trees to be planted based on mature size

and type o growth appropriate or the planting

location, compatibility with soil conditions, other

associated plants, climate, and pest resistance

properties.

Where appropriate select native trees.

Careully evaluate locations prior to planting.

Considerwaterrequirementsandinfluenceon shading and air circulation or the sur-

rounding turgrass.

Consider wildlie habitat.

Considerthetreesinfluenceontheplay-

ing characteristics o the gol course.

Addtreecanopyoversurfacewatertohelp

reduce water temperatures and increase

dissolved oxygen.

Complete a tree inventory on the entire prop-erty including the natural areas.

Consider wildlie habitat.

Consider aesthetics.

Routinely monitor trees.

Monitoroverallhealth

Prunewhenappropriatetomaintaintree

health

Considerinfluenceonplayingcharacteris-

tics

Monitorforthepresenceofinsectsand

diseases

Considerinfluenceonsurroundingturf-

grass and ornamentals

Considerhazardpotential


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Tree removal

Treesmayberemovedbecauseofdisease,

age, wind, lightening damage, or hazard

potential.

Treesmayalsoberemovedtoincrease

sunlight and air circulation to speciic tur-

grass areas.

Consultaprofessionaltreeserviceregard-

ing removal that is beyond the scope o

routine gol course management practices.

Considertheimpactremovalofthetree

will have on surace water shading beore

removing the tree

Optimize air circulation.

Minimize shade or turgrass areas. Whenever

possible, retain shade over waterways to pre-

serve habitat and help control temperature.

Minimize traic in shaded areas.

Remove leaves, allen limbs, and other debris

rom turgrass areas to the controlled com-

posting area or an area where its staged or

disposal. Whenever possible, do not disturb

this material in waterways to preserve habitat.

232 Ornamental LandscapeManagement

Ornamental plants should be properly selected,

planted, and maintained or increased survival,

water conservation, and perormance in the

landscape. The ollowing BMPs were reerenced

rom the Cooperative Extension Service/The

University o Georgia College o Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences (2009).

Plant woody ornamentals and herbaceous

perennials in the all and winter. There is less

demand or water and nutrients by the top

and more energy and ood or root growth.

With the proper care, ornamentals may also

be planted during the spring in the Paciic

Northwest.

Prepare the planting bed properly.

Deeptilltoadepthof8to12inches.

Whenplantingindividualplants,diga

wide planting hole to provide a avorable

rooting environment.

Add appropriate amendments to the planting

bed (when necessary) to improve the physical

properties o the soilwater retention, water

iniltration, and drainageor to enhance its

mineral and microbial content.

Irrigate at night or early in the morning to

conserve moisture and avoid evaporative loss

o water.

Practice deep watering in order to encourage

strong healthy root systems that are watereicient. Avoid light, requent irrigation that

encourages shallow rooting.

Avoid over-ertilization and avoid ertilizing

during periods o limited rainall or high

temperatures.


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2.4 FERTILIZATION

Proper ertilization is essential or turgrass to

sustain desirable color, growth, density, and vigor;

to better resist diseases, weeds, and insects; and to

provide optimum playability.

241 Nutrient Testing

Perorm soil nutrient testing at regular inter-

vals (typically every 1 - 3 years with shorter

intervals or sand-based soil proiles). Take

samples at the same time o year (i.e. Spring)

and same depth (i.e. 3 inches) to provide a

consistent evaluation o soil nutrient levels

rom year to year. The samples should also

be taken at the end o the ertilization appli-cation interval beore the next application

interval.

Maintain accurate records o soil sample loca-

tions, date o sampling, soil conditions, and

test results.

Use the same laboratory or analyses over

time so that results are more comparable.

Consider using plant tissue testing to evalu-

ate ertility. This is most valuable or micro-

nutrients.

242 Nitrogen

Regulate nitrogen application to optimize

turgrass health and prevent disease develop-

ment. The goal is to use the least amount o

nitrogen needed or healthy unctional tur.

Use slow-release nitrogen ertilizers when

possible, or low rates o quick-release nitro-

gen ertilizers to minimize inputs to the envi-ronment.

Adjust nitrogen with consideration to

groundwater and surace water vulnerability.

Consider clipping yield, thatch levels, need

or growth, color, growth rate, and tissue

testing to determine nitrogen applications.

243 Phosphorus

The main goal is to apply the least amount

o phosphorus needed or healthy unctional

tur.

Use soil test inormation to determine need.

Minimize phosphorus applications in areas

where phosphorus levels are medium to high

based on soil test results, except in the case

o establishment operations.

Be aware o local restrictions on phosphorus

use.

Adjust phosphorus with consideration to

groundwater and surace water vulnerability.

244 Potassium

Use soil test inormation to develop target

levels.

Limit potassium inputs to the amount needed

to reach target levels.

245 Calcium, Magnesium, andMicronutrients

Apply as required to maintain plant health.

Regularly test soil and plant tissue to avoid

deiciency problems.

246 pH

Maintain soil pH appropriate or turgrass

type.

Adjust soil pH i possible to optimize soil

nutrient availability using results rom soil

tests.

247 Fertilizer Application Practices

Properly calibrate ertilizer spreaders to

ensure accurate application rates.


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Review the weather orecast prior to applica-

tions. Avoid applications prior to orecasts or

heavy rainall to minimize potential or run-

o.

Avoid application to impervious suraces (cart

paths, parking lots, etc).

Avoid applying ertilizer to sand bunkers and

water eatures. Use appropriate application

equipment or the area being ertilized.

248 Buer Zones

Follow appropriate buer zone practices asdescribed in Section 2.1.

Limit ertilizer applications to the extent

practical in deined buer zones.

249 Documentation

Record location, date, weather conditions,

and type o ertilizer applied.

Record rate o nutrient application.

Record method o nutrient application.

Record post-application irrigation practices.

Maintain current inventory o ertilizer on

hand.

2410 Storage

Avoid long-term storage. Store small quanti-

ties and order as needed.

Maintain ertilizer inventory in a dedicated,

dry, well-ventilated, enclosed environment.

Store ertilizer separately rom solvents, uels,

and pesticides.

Sweep up any spilled ertilizer immediately.

Create a map o ertilizer storage areas and

install appropriate placards on exterior o

storage area.

2.5 IRRIGATION

To ensure eicient watering, gol courses should

have well-designed irrigation systems that maintainthe desired level o turgrass health and playability.

251 Soil Moisture

Monitor soil moisture and wettability rou-

tinely.


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Maintain soil moisture levels that promote

healthy turgrass.

Avoid over-application o water to turgrass.

Provide adequate drainage to promote

healthy root development and help prevent

compaction.

Use moisture sensors to determine eective-

ness o irrigation in wetting soil.

Monitor soils wettability with the Water Drop

Penetration Time (WDPT) Test. I soil resists

wetting, use soil suractants to restore wet-

tability and avoid development o soil water

repellency.

252 Conservation

Optimize irrigation program to conserve

water.

Irrigationapplicationratesshouldnot

exceed the maximum ability o the soil

to absorb and hold the water applied at

any one time, with the exception o salt

aected soils.

Irrigateaccordingtoneedsofeachareaof

the course speciically.

Useweatherstation,evapotranspiration(ET),

and/or soil moisture sensor data to assist in

irrigation scheduling.

Considertheuseofsoilsurfactantstoensure

uniorm delivery o water and solutes to root-

zone.

Reduce irrigation in secondary rough areas

and, where possible, eliminate irrigation o

non-play areas.

Irrigate by hand when necessary and practi-

cal.

Conduct an irrigation audit to ind out where

improvements can be made in irrigation sys-

tem eiciency.

Reviewthenumberofturfgrassareasthat

are irrigated.

Identifyspeciesthatarewaterconserving.

253 Water Quality

Determine that the irrigation source water is

suitable or application to turgrass via water-

quality testing.

Consider long-term implications o irrigation

source water quality.

Treat water as needed to improve suitability

or irrigation.

254 Reclaimed Water

When possible, use reclaimed water or irri-

gation.

Apply water conservation measures even i

using reclaimed water.

The characteristics o reclaimed water vary

greatly between sources. Review water qual-

ity analytical data or perorm water quality

testing to determine i any extra management

practices are necessary to use the water at the

gol course.


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255 Management

Irrigation systems should be operated based

on moisture needs o turgrass or to water in

a ertilizer or chemical application as directed

by the label.

Audit irrigation system, weather station, low

meters, and moisture sensors annually.

Perorm annual maintenance on pump sta-

tions.

Use rain sensors to help eliminate excess

watering during rainy weather.

Monitor system or breaks and malunctions.

Performleakdetectiononaregularbasis,

including in the spring prior to the start o

the irrigation season and again at the end

o the season.

Useisolationvalvesbeforeallmainlines

and major laterals to be able to quickly

shut o leaking areas beore turgrass is

damaged and water is lost.

Trimvegetationaroundandlevelsprinkler

heads and valve boxes as needed.

Installleakmonitoringdevicesthatwill

automatically disable the pump in the

event o a substantial leak.

When possible, the irrigation schedule

should coincide with other cultural practices

such as the application o nutrients.

Develop a drought emergency plan to address

the most critical gol course water demands

during times o water use restrictions.

Limit irrigation to seasons deined in appur-

tenant water rights.

Limit irrigation to quantities deined in

appurtenant water rights.

Anti-backlow prevention devices must be

used i there is any possibility o water reen-

tering water supply systems in accordance

with local regulations. This is especially

important i the irrigation water is used to

convey pesticides or ertilizers.

Measure water and energy use monthly and

annually.

Coordinate ertilization and irrigation rate to

prevent runo to surace waters or ground-

water leaching.

256 Irrigation System Design

Irrigation o greens and green surrounds

should be designed to provide inward and

outward sprinkler coverage or maximum

eiciency and optimal turgrass maintenance.

Have operational control o each head to

increase irrigation lexibility.

Have separate irrigation zones or slopes,

roughs, and areas surrounding greens.

System elements should include computer-

ized control systems, weather stations, pump

stations, monitoring sensors, and optimumsprinkler heads and nozzles installed at opti-

mum spacing.


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I not already a part o the automated/com-

puterized system/weather station installed at

the gol course, install rain shuto switches

to avoid over-watering ollowing signiicant

rainall.

Irrigation systems should be designed and

installed by qualiied specialists.

2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental monitoring is a method to deter-

mine i outside events are aecting water quality

or i the gol course is having an eect on water

qualitypositively or negatively.

261 Regulations Become amiliar with ederal, state, and local

regulations that apply to gol course opera-

tions including those related to habitat, sur-

ace water, groundwater, and storm water

runo.

Implement policies and procedures to achieve

compliance with relevant regulations.

262 Habitat Develop gol course operations to optimize

preservation and enhancement o wild-

lie habitat (reer to the Wildlie Habitat

Enhancement section o the Guidelines).

Where available, obtain advice rom organi-

zations and agencies such as Audubon Inter-

national, local Audubon Society Chapters,

Washington Department o Fish and Wildlie,

Oregon Department o Fish and Wildlie,

local watershed councils, etc. to assist in hab-itat enhancement and applicable regulations.

Consider the presence o amphibian and

other species when selecting pesticide deliv-

ery systems.

263 Storm Water

Storm water management is important at gol

courses or many reasons. Storm water runo can

carry pollution to receiving waters, cause erosion,

and cause looding i not managed properly.

Consider both the quantity and quality o

storm water.

Storm water management should include

natural systems engineering approaches

that maximize the use o natural systems to

treat water. Preserve the natural drainage

pathways that existed prior to development

where possible.

Storm water management should slow water

velocities and reduce peak discharges.

There should be no discharges rom pipes

that go directly to surace water.

Institute buers and special management

zones.

Minimize the use o impervious suraces and

maximize opportunities or iniltration in

permeable areas where possible.

Minimize use o curbingcreate breaks in

curbs where water can low into appropriatelandscaped or natural areas to serve as alter-

native irrigation and be naturally iltered.

Use pervious pavers or pavement or walk-

ways, paths, and parking lots.

Control surace runo quantity and quality in

parking lots and rom roos with appropriate

iniltration and/or treatment practices such as

bioretention acilities (rain gardens), iniltra-

tion planters, grassy swales, ilter strips, andconstructed wetlands.


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Channel water rom rain gutters into planted

areas or water reservoirs.

264 Monitoring

Inventory property eatures with respect to

habitat, water quality, and storm water man-

agement to deine a baseline or measuring

improvement and enhancements.

Monitor and document habitat improvements

and related wildlie response (e.g., installa-

tion o bird boxes leading to increased bird

population).

Monitor and document water quality o rel-

evant surace and groundwaters to assess

impact o gol course management practice

(reer to the Water Quality Monitoring sec-

tion o the Guidelines).

Useacertifiedanalyticallab.

Usepropersamplingtechniques.

Check the daily weather orecast or your local

air quality index to nd out i it is a Clean

Air Action Day. I it is, reduce activities that

add to air pollution. For example, limit the

amount o motorized equipment use that day.

265 Corrective Action

In the event that monitoring inormation

identiies a potential problem, design and

implement action to correct the situation.

Document the plan using the Action Plan

orm.

Evaluate BMPs in the event monitoring iden-

tiies a potential problem.

Document any corrective action taken.

266 Spill Response

Develop a speciic Standard Operating Proce-

dure (SOP) based on these BMPs.

Maintain appropriate spill response equip-

ment.

Train sta on proper use o spill response

equipment.

Train sta on procedures or containing spills

and avoiding injury.

Where appropriate, ile a spill response

report.

Maintain and post inormation or appropri-

ate responders based on the nature o the

spill.

Determine the conditions that deine whether

a spill must be reported (i.e. what quantity o

chemical spilled requires reporting).


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I required, report spills to the National

Spill Response Center (1-800-424-8802)

or to the local state regulatory agency such

as the Washington Department o Ecology,

Spills Program (NW Region 425-649-7000,

SW Region 360-407-6300, CentralRegion 509-575-2490, Eastern Region

509-329-3400). In Oregon, report the spill

to the Oregon Emergency Response System

(OERS) (800-452-0311) as required. I there

are other public or private agencies in the

area that deal with spill response, have their

number in a location visible or all sta.

Be ready to answer questions such as:

Whereisthespill?

Whatspilled?

Howmuchspilled?

Howconcentratedisthespilledmaterial?

Whospilledthematerial?

Isanyonecleaningupthespill?

Arethereresourcedamages?

Whoisreportingthespill?

Howcantheygetbacktoyouaboutthespill?

267 Wellhead Protection

Check to see i municipal wellhead protec-

tion, permits, or land use restrictions apply.

Review laws pertaining to wellhead protec-

tion - ederal, state, and local.

Implement a wellhead protection program

(reer to Section 5.0 in the Guidelines). Identiy public and private sources o drink-

ing water including wells.

Identiy areas o the gol course where

groundwater may be most impacted (e.g.,

shallow water table, sandy soil proile) by

gol course management activities. These

areas would be considered potentially sensi-tive areas.

Reduce pesticide use in sensitive areas.

Reduce ertilizer use, especially those with

groundwater advisory statements on the

label, in sensitive areas, including areas such

as turgrass adjacent to waterways, particu-

larly ponds, lakes, wetlands, and rough adja-

cent to natural areas.

Create delineation boundaries.

Select turgrass varieties that grow much

slower and require less ertilizer.

Maintain buer zones to help minimize ero-

sion and runo.

Manage hazardous materials and petroleum

products to prevent releases.


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Manage vehicle and equipment maintenance

areas to prevent releases.

2.7 PEST MANAGEMENT

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a methodo combining proper plant selection, correct

cultural practices, the monitoring o pest and

environmental conditions, and the judicious use o

biological controls and pesticides to manage pest

problems.

271 Integrated Pest Management

Develop an Integrated Pest Management Plan

(reer to the Integrated Pest Management sec-

tion o the Guidelines).

Use the Integrated Pest Management Plan as

an operational reerence or all gol course

operations.

Educate sta on the contents and utility o

the Integrated Pest Management Plan.

Revise the Integrated Pest Management Plan

over time so that it remains a contemporary

document refecting the state o gol course

management.

272 Weeds

Deine action thresholds.

Monitor turgrass regularly or presence o

weeds.

Optimize turgrass vigor by mowing at the

appropriate height and by proper application

o ertilizer and water to prevent weed colo-

nization and establishment.

When possible, use mechanical means (i.e.,

hand pulling) to remove.

Use selective herbicides only when thresholds

have been exceeded, and when appropriate,

limit applications to spot treatments.

273 Fungal Disease


Understand disease symptoms and disease

lie cycle.

Deine and implement cultural practices

designed to minimize injury rom ungal

pathogens.

Monitor turgrass regularly or disease symp-

toms.

Monitor conditions (temperature, humidity,

moisture, etc.) that avor disease develop-

ment.

Use ungicides with optimal eicacy and

speciicity.

When possible, use targeted, spot applica-

tions o ungicides.

Rotate chemical amily o ungicides applied

to prevent the development o ungal resis-

tance.

Document problem areas, disease activity,

and treatment applied.

274 Insects


Understand relevant insect lie cycles and

symptoms o inestation.


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Provide habitat or native insect predators

where possible.

Install bat and bird boxes near areas where

insect inestations could be ood sources or

these animals.

Encourage beneicial insects and consider

impacts to beneicial insects prior to applica-

tion o pesticides.

Monitor turgrass regularly or symptoms o

inestation.

Cultivate growing degree days to estimate

insect activity.

I inestation is detected, correctly identiy

the insect.

Use target speciic insecticides.

When possible, use targeted, spot applica-

tions o insecticides.

275 Rodents


Use mechanical traps when possible and local

laws allow.

Study the habits o the target rodent toenhance trap eiciency.

Provide habitat or native rodent predators

where possible.

Install nesting or perching eatures (i.e.,

snags, nest boxes, etc.) or raptors that use

rodents as a ood source.

Use rodenticides as a last resort.

I possible, eliminate ood sources or habitat.

276 Buer Zones

Follow appropriate buer zone practices as

described in Section 2.1.

Separate action thresholds must be dened

or application o pesticides within buer

zones.

277 Aquatic


Consider pond unction (habitat or irrigation)

when deining damage/action thresholds.

Keep ponds/lakes as deep as practical tominimize aquatic plant growth.

Where possible, use mechanical means to

remove undesirable aquatic plants.

Where possible, use non-toxic blue or black

dye to block sunlight rom growing plants or

algae.

Use beneicial aquatic plants to out-compete

undesirable plants and/or to remove nitrate

rom the water.

Use aerators to agitate water; this practice

increases oxygen content and reduces the

growth o bacteria and algae.

Prior to using aquatic herbicides, obtain ap-

propriate permits, i necessary.

278 Cultural and Physical Controls

Use certiied pest-ree plant material, i avail-

able.

Use appropriate turgrasses or areas being

planted.


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Increase mowing height to reduce plant stress

associated with nematodes, root-eeding

insects, disease outbreaks, or peak weed seed

germination.

Stimulate or increase root growth i root-

eeding pests are detected. Increase irriga-

tion requency (with smaller quantities) until

roots recover.

Manage irrigation to avoid excess moisture or

drought stress. (See Irrigation Section o the

Guidelines)

Wash mowers to avoid spreading pathogens

and weeds.

Manage thatch by adjusting ertility levels,

mechanical removal, top dressing, or othermeans.

Divert trac away rom areas that are

stressed.

279 Natural Controls

Provide native lowering plants that can be

nectar ood sources or parasitic insects and

pollinators.

Encourage benecial organisms in out-o-play

areas.

2710 Pesticide (Synthetic orBiological) Controls

The ollowing is a brie list o important actors

to consider when using pesticides on gol courses.

More detailed pesticide BMPs are listed in Section

2.8.

Choose Reduced Risk products as deined by

the EPA when available.

Choose products targeted at the pest o

intent.

Read and understand the pesticide label.

Test new pesticides on a small area on the

gol course beore widely using them.

Manage pesticide resistance by rotating pes-

ticides with dierent modes o action, as

appropriate.

Consider the weather condition prior to the

application o pesticides.

For insecticides aimed at soil insects, irrigate

turgrass beore and/or ater an application,

in accordance with the label.

Avoid applying herbicides at times when they

could contribute to plant stress and result

in greater plant damage by a secondary pest

problem.

Honor buer zones when applying pesticides.

Maintain pesticide application records re-

quired by your state.

2.8 PESTICIDES

When using pesticides on gol courses, there

are many important actors that come into play.

These include minimizing potential hazards to

human health and the environment, optimizing

playing conditions at the gol course, utilizing eec-

tive monitoring to enable selective control o pest

populations, minimizing pesticide use through

targeted application while optimizing pesticide

eicacy, sustaining high turgrass quality, control-

ling operating costs, and maintaining the health o

the landscape elements such as trees, shrubs, lower

beds, and natural areas.

281 Selection

Conirm identity o pest requiring pesticide

treatment.

Select pesticides based on eicacy, target

speciicity, the potential eect on non-target

species, cost, site characteristics, and environ-

mental compatibility.


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Rotate the chemical amily o pesticides

used or a speciic pest to prevent the devel-

opment o pesticide resistance. The Insecti-

cide (http://www.irac-online.org ) and Fun-

gicide Resistance Action Committees (http://

www.frac.info/frac/index.htm ) provide excel-lent resources on pesticides resistance issues

and guidelines.

When possible, use pesticides labeled by the

EPA as Reduced Risk Pesticides.

282 Application

Follow appropriate state regulations regard-

ing licensing o personnel who handle pesti-

cides.

Read and understand pesticide labeling

beore use.

Use pesticides or labeled use only.

First inirst out principle. Use the pesti-

cides that have been stored at the gol course

or the greatest length o time irst.

Mix pesticides or target pests at rates speci-

ied on the label.

Mix pesticides in a dedicated area.

Haveaproperlydesignedandconstructed

area where the operator can perorm all

mixing operations.

Spillscanbecollectedandmanaged.

Locateoperationswellawayfromground-

water wells and areas where runo may

carry spilled pesticides into surace water

bodies.

Cleanupspillsimmediately.

Properlyrinsepesticidecontainersandput

rinsate into spray tank whenever possible.

Wear appropriate personal protective equip-

ment (PPE) during pesticide mixing and

application.

Properly calibrate sprayer or spreader beore

use.

Apply pesticides to target areas only. Do

not apply pesticides in buer zones. Follow

application setbacks when speciied on the

label.

Minimize pesticide drit by applying when

winds are 5 mph or less, or use hooded

booms.


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Select appropriate nozzles and use drit

reduction technologies.

Use curative applications only when pest

action threshold levels have been reached.

Use preventative applications only when

conditions avoring outbreaks occur (e.g.,

summer stress avoring anthracnose, cool

conditions avoring Microdochium patch

(usarium)).

Use check plots to determine pesticide eec-

tiveness (i.e. 2 x 2 oot square o plywood

laid on turgrass to block application and

serve as an untreated control area.)

Follow posting requirements according to

state law.

283 Pesticide Spill Management

Use appropriate personal protective equip-

ment (PPE).

Follow the 4 steps: control, contain, collect,

and store.

Comply with all applicable ederal, state, and

local regulations on spill response training,

spill reporting requirements, spill contain-

ment, and cleanup.

Dispose o waste in accordance with regula-

tions.

Reer to Spill Response (Section 2.6.6).

284 Storage

Proper handling and storage is important to

avoid serious injury or death, ires, environmen-

tal contamination, cleanup costs, civil lawsuits,

destruction o turgrass, and wasted pesticide

product. Speciic storage and disposal guidelines/

requirements or Oregon can be ound at http://

www.oregon.gov/ODA/PEST/disposal.shtml .

Read the label or speciic storage require-

ments.

Store pesticides in a restricted access, lock-

able, dedicated room or cabinet.

Apply placards to exterior o storage.

Pesticide storage building should be separate

rom other buildings.

Store liquid products below dry products.

Avoid placing liquids above eye level.

Store all products; especially dry bags, up o

loor (i.e. on pallets).

Ensure that the pesticide storage area meets

OSHA requirements (i.e., dry, ventilated,

temperature control, etc.)

Store pesticides in original containers with

original labels.

Organize the pesticides: lammable/nonlam-

mable, ungicides/herbicides/insecticides.

Create a map showing pesticide storage areas.

285 Disposal

Read the label or speciic disposal require-

ments.

Rinse pesticide containers as soon as they are

empty. Triple rinse containers prior to dis-

posal. Mix rinsate into batch or application

according to label directions.

Consult with local ire department or storage

and reporting requirements.

Inspect rinsed container to conirm that all

visible residues have been removed prior to

disposal.

Ifpesticidecontainersarenotproperly

rinsed they could be classiied as hazard-

ous waste.

UndertheResourceConservationand

Recovery Act (RCRA), a container is not

empty until it has been properly rinsed.


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Ater cleaning, puncture the pesticide con-

tainers to prevent reuse.

Contact a local pesticide distributor or con-

tainer recycling instructions.

I there is any question about the contents o

a container, set it aside or proper disposal.

Properly dispose o old or unusable pesti-

cides.

286 Documentation

Follow state regulations or proper documen-

tation and reporting procedures.

Record target o pesticide application.

Record location, date, and type o pesticideapplied.

Record weather conditions.

Record rate o application.

Record method o application.

Maintain current inventory o pesticides on

hand.

2.9 PETROLEUM PRODUCTSPetroleum products can be harmul when intro-

duced to the environment including surace waters.

These products can loat on the water surace, sink

to the bottom, evaporate into the air, or remain

suspended in the soil and groundwater. Petroleum

products have a low solubility and can be toxic to

plants, animals, and people.

291 Fuel Storage

Store bulk uel in certiied, double walled,

sel-contained steel tanks.

Keep gas cans in a separate metal cabinet.

Label uel storage containers clearly and

accurately.

Store solvents and degreasers in lockable

metal cabinets in an area away rom ignition

sources.

Create a map o uel and chemical storage

areas.

292 Disposal

Store used luids in separate containers

appropriate or speciic luid type.

Maintain used luid containers in an easy

access, sae area that is out o the weather.

Store used luid containers on a non-corro-

sive secondary containment deck.

Label used luid containers clearly with luidcontents.

Contact local petroleum company to arrange

pick up o containers or disposal.

293 Fueling Areas

Minimize the possibility o a discharge and

the need or disposal. Cover ueling areas to minimize contact with

storm water.

Direct catch basins in ueling areas to an oil/

water separator or a dead end sump that is

tested and managed.


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Educate employees on the importance o

handling petroleum products properly.

Comply with regulatory requirements or

aboveground and underground storage tanks.

294 Spill Response

Reer to Section 2.6.6.

A spill kit should be located in the ueling

area.

295 Fuel Usage

Choose uel-eicient equipment.

Reduce the number o two-cycle engines that

are used.

Develop mowing, spraying, bunker raking,

and other maintenance activity routes that

optimize the activity and reduce uel use.

Limit engine idling.

Repair uel, oil, and hydraulic leaks immedi-

ately.

2.10 WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste management is the collection, trans-

port, processing, recycling, or disposal o waste

materials, usually ones produced by human activ-

ity. By managing wastes, gol courses can reduce

their eect on human or ecological health or local

aesthetics or amenities. Managing wastes allows gol

courses to reduce the eects on the environment.

2101 Compost

Compost as much biomass as possible andreuse on gol course.

Site compost areas away rom surace waters

or where groundwater may be impacted.

2102 Wash Water

Do not wash equipment unnecessarily.

Equipment should be brushed or blown with

compressed air beore, or instead o, wash-

ing.

Do not discharge wash water directly to natu-

ral surace water or groundwater.

Wash water should be discharged into a

sanitary sewer system or a closed-loop recy-

cling system. I this is not possible, contact

the state environmental regulatory agency to

determine i discharge permits are required.

A ew options and alternatives or equipmentwash stations include:

Dogleashsystemwashovergrass

and move around to prevent discharge to

groundwater or runo to surace water.

SeparationsystemInterceptclippings

and compost, return water to a bioswale

that does not discharge to groundwater or

runo to surace water.

OnsiteDraindirectlytoaclosedlooprecycle system (recycle systems typically

require discharge to a sanitary system or

maintenance purposes).

OffsiteDraindirectlytoasanitarysys-

tem.


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Residue rom rinsing o mowing equipment

that is collected at the prescreening to the

wash water disposal system can be collected

and composted or spread on the gol course.

Recycle system ilters and sludge should be

treated and disposed o as hazardous waste

unless they have been tested to determine

that they are not hazardous.

Minimize the use o detergents.

Minimize the amount o water used to clean

equipment. For example, use a hose with a

shuto nozzle i washing all equipment and

machinery with water.

Do not conduct equipment wash operations

on a pesticide mixing and loading pad.

Do not wash equipment used to apply pesti-

cides on pads with oil/water separators. Pes-

ticide residues will contaminate the oil that is

salvaged.

Protect equipment maintenance areas rom

rainall.

Each piece o equipment should have an

assigned parking area. This allows oil or

other luid leaks to be easily spotted andattributed to a speciic machine so that it can

be repaired.

Protect drains rom receiving inappropriate

fuids. For example, do not allow rinse water

into a storm drain, and do not allow oil to

enter sanitary or storm drains.

2103 Hazardous Waste

Contact the state environmental agency toperorm a hazardous waste audit through the

agencys waste reduction assistance program.

Oregon: http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/hw/

Washington: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pro-

grams/hwtr/index.html

Protect drains rom receiving inappropriate

luids. For example, do not allow rinse water

to a storm drain, and do not allow oil to

enter sanitary or storm drains.

Ensure that all waste containers are sealed,

secured, and properly labeled.

Use only approved, licensed contractors or

disposal.

Pesticide mixtures that cannot legally be

applied to a site must be disposed o as haz-

ardous waste.

Antireeze must be recycled or disposed o as

hazardous waste.

Lead-acid storage batteries are classied as

hazardous waste unless they are recycled.

2104 Recycling

Implement a recycling program (cardboard,

plastic, pop cans, etc.).

Store all cracked batteries in a non-leaking

secondary container to retain acid leaks and

recycle them. Store batteries inside a covered

area.

Recycle used materials such as degreasers,

used oil, oil lters, antireeze, cleaning solu-

tions, automotive batteries, used rags, and

hydraulic fuid in properly marked contain-

ers.

2.11 SAFETY AND EDUCATION

PROGRAM

Eective management o worker saety and

health protection is a decisive actor in reducing theextent and the severity o work-related injuries and

illnesses. Worker saety is important in ensuring

protection rom the potential hazards o working at

gol courses.


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2111 Saety Meetings

Create a saety committee consisting o main-

tenance crewmembers.

Establish a regular meeting time (i.e., irst

Monday o the month).

Keep accurate records o meeting discussions.

Communicate Environmental Stewardship

principles used by the gol course with all

sta.

2112 Saety Training

Establish a saety training program to include

the ollowing topics:

CPRandfirstaid.

Eyeprotection.

Noiseexposureandprotection.

Hardhatuseandheadprotection.

Personalprotectionequipment(PPE).

Request ree saety training videos rom

OSHA.

Understand how to interpret a Material Saety

Data Sheet (MSDS). Place MSDS documentsin a ile and store in a location accessible to

all sta.

Bomb threat response.

Fire saety training, including pesticides and

other hazardous materials.

2113 Hazard Communication Training

The gol course should have a hazardous

communication program in place.

Employees should be alerted to the envi-

ronmental and health hazards o the various

chemicals used at the gol course.

The training program should include the sae

handling, storage, waste management, and

disposal or all chemicals used at the gol

course.

All MSDS should be stored in one location

that is known and accessible by everyone

employed at the gol course.

Eyewash stations should be located in the

maintenance shop and at other locations

where chemicals are stored.

2114 Equipment Training

Establish an equipment training program to

include the ollowing topics:

Toolandaccessorytraining.

Lightningsafetyandprotection.

Emergencyprocedures.

Signage.

Fireextinguisherlocations.

Generaluse.

Display signage appropriate or location or

situation.

2115 Saety Audits

Have ire marshal perorm an audit o ire

saety.

Have OSHA perorm a consultative general

saety audit.

Contact the insurance company to determine

i they will perorm a saety audit.


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The broad objective o an Integrated PestManagement (IPM) strategy is to optimize

turgrass, ornamental, and tree health

through the use o cultural methods as a means o

minimizing the need to control pests with chemi-

cals.

The states o Oregon and Washington deine

IPM as a coordinated decision-making and action

process that uses the most appropriate pest control

methods and strategy in an environmentally and

economically sound manner to meet institu-tion programmatic pest management objectives

(Washington State, Interagency Integrated Pest

Management Coordinating Committee, 2002

and Oregon Revised Statute 634.650). Legal

Washington State deinitions o IPM are located at

www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/upest/legal_defs.

html. The legal deinition o IPM in Oregon is

located at www.oregon.gov/ODA/PEST/ipm.shtml .

Section 2.4 o the Guidelines provides the BMPs

related to pest management.

The main goal o an IPM program is to protect

the environment and maximize the quality o

turgrass by using a combination o tactics to

control pests, including cultural, biological, genetic,

and chemical controls. Many pest management

practices do not involve the use o pesticides. By

keeping the turgrass healthy, the need or chemical

treatment will be reduced. Other times, preventa-

tive pesticide applications can reduce the total

amount o pesticides used on a given area over a

given time. Many times pesticide applications are

used ater other IPM strategies have been either

employed, or considered.

Pesticides can be applied as preventative or

curative maintenance. Whether the pesticide appli-

cation should occur prior to the pest becoming

apparent or ater the pest has began to establishitsel may depend on the type o pest/disease and

its characteristics, the action threshold set or the

pest at the gol course, time o year, and the sched-

ule o maintenance activities.

Pesticide resistance should also be considered

when deciding on a course o action or a particu-

lar pest. Both the Insecticide Resistance Action

Committee (IRAC) and the Fungicide Resistance

Action Committee (FRAC) are technical groups o

Croplie International designed to provide pesti-cide resistance management guidelines to prolong

the eectiveness o at risk ungicides and to limit

crop losses should resistance occur. The main aims

o both IRAC and FRAC are to:

Identiy existing and potential resistance

problems.

Collect inormation and distribute it to those

involved with ungicide and insecticide

research, distribution, registration, and use. Provide strategies, guidelines, and advice

on the use o pesticides to reduce the risk

o resistance developing, and to manage it

should it occur.

Recommend procedures or use in pesticides

resistance studies.

Facilitate communication and education on

pesticide resistance.

Stimulate open discussions and collabora-tion with universities, government agencies,

advisors, extension workers, distribution, and

armers.

As reerenced in Section 2.8.1, the approved

FRAC and IRAC monitoring methods are located

on the FRAC and IRAC websites.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) PLAN 3.0


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Integrated Pest Management


Documented IPM plans have become important

gol course assets, and provide a cornerstone or

environmental stewardship programs. Pest manage-

ment decisions and methodology are based on

sound scientiic inormation. An IPM plan can be

viewed as the incorporation o the general policiesand procedures o Best Management Practices into

a written description o IPM-driven management

practices.

Although the primary purpose o an IPM plan

is to provide the gol course Superintendent and

sta with a working reerence document, the IPM

plan has a variety o additional beneicial uses. The

IPM plan can be used to inorm greens commit-

tees, owners, regulatory agencies, and the public

regarding the IPM strategies and practices at the

gol course. A signiicant challenge is to develop

a documented IPM plan that is understandable

to a wide variety o readers. The plan should

contain suicient detail to deine all aspects o IPM

practices, yet should also be written so that readers

with a variety o comprehension levels can easily

understand speciics o the plan. Ideally, the plan

should be written in outline orm that has short,

clear descriptions under each outline heading. In

certain instances, the use o tables is recommendedto provide a concise presentation o certain aspects

o the plan.

The organization o the IPM plan has been

synthesized rom a variety o sources, which

include the Portland Parks and Recreation Pest

Management Policy (Portland Parks and Recreation,

2009); Best Management Practices or Gol Course

Development and Operation (King County

Environmental Division, 1993); the Audubon

Cooperative Sanctuary Program or Gol Courses;

and a collection o contemporary, turgrass manage-

ment reerences.

The Portland Parks and Recreation Pest

Management Policy is in compliance with the 4d

Rule under the Endangered Species Act. There have

been updates to this policy, which can also apply to

gol courses. Alternative weed management treat-

ments are currently being studied. By keeping up to

date with the results o these studies, gol courses

will be able to develop the best practices. Another

part o the current Pest Management Policy is to

stem the invasion o non-native invasive weeds thatdisplace the natural plants. This is necessary to

restoring natural areas, in creating healthy habitats

needed to support wildlie, and in enhancing storm

water quality.

An IPM Plan development tool designed or

Paciic Northwest gol courses is available at

www.greengolfusa.com. This tool allows a

Superintendent to enter gol course descrip-

tive inormation, pest threshold inormation,

and treatment approach. A ormatted electronic

document that relects the selections will be

emailed to the gol course Superintendent ater

data entry. The result is a ormal IPM Plan tailored

to meet the maintenance objectives o the gol

course. The resulting IPM plan can be edited and

made even more site-speciic by the gol course

Superintendent.

The ollowing is a table o contents or a typical

IPM plan. Because IPM plans are speciic to eachgol course, your IPM plan may vary rom this

example. The contents are described in more detail

in later sections.

1. Introduction

2. IPM Deinition, Objectives, Structure

3. Area Deinition

3.1 Management Areas

3.2 Non-Turgrass Areas

4. Turgrass Cultural Practice

4.1 Cultural Practice

4.2 Pest Management

4.3 Nutrient Management

4.4 Irrigation

5. Tree Management


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eectiveness o the treatments, results should be

documented.

3211 Invasives

Noxious and invasive weeds need to be

controlled. These types o plants are a threat to

the unction, composition, and structure o native

ecosystems. The U.S. EPA states that noxious weeds

and invasive exotic (non-native) plants are a serious

biodiversity issue o great signiicance to human

and natural resource conditions.

In order to control invasive plants, the ollowing

objectives should be ollowed:

Prevent the continued spread o aggressive,

non-native plant species.

Prevent the spread o established non-native

noxious and invasive plants into uninested

or lightly inested areas.

Eradicate new invaders beore they become

established.

Eradicate or control known and potential

non-native noxious and invasive plant ines-

tations.

3.3 PLANT NUTRITION

Nutrient management is most eective when

combined with IPM practices. The nutrient

management plan is a guide or adjusting manage-

ment practices to address variability throughout the

gol course. It is a guide or managing the amount,

sources, placement, orm, and timing o application

o nutrients and other soil amendments and should

be applied as part o a conservation management

system to eiciently use nutrient resources.

Nutrient management has a signiicant impact

on plant health, soils, and the environment over

time; thereore it is important to closely monitor

the nutrient application rate, nutrient orm, nutri-

ent application method, and nutrient application

timing.

The major nutrients required or turgrass health

are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium

(K). Calcium, magnesium, and sulur also contrib-ute signiicantly to turgrass health. Micronutrients

include iron, boron, copper, manganese, and zinc.

The availability o nutrients to turgrass is inlu-

enced by the pH o the soil. Consequently, manage-

ment o the appropriate pH is an important compo-

nent o the ertilizer program. Controlled-release

ertilizers should be used whenever appropriate,

with adjustments being made or special needs and

conditions.

A good nutrient management plan that isollowed will reduce ertilizer costs, improve

turgrass quality, and protect water resources.

Three items that a good nutrient management

plan should include are:

Use a realistic plan or nitrogen requirement.

Adjust the plan based on in-season soil and/

or plant testing or monitoring.

Manage irrigation eciently to prevent leach-ing and runo.

331 Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a major nutrient and is a key

element in plant growth, but excess nitrogen will

not be taken up by the plant.


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The ate o residual nitrogen includes:

Uptake by plants and soil microorganisms.

Loss through denitriication and volatiliza-

tion.

Loss through leaching or runo as nitrate.

When planning nitrogen management, consider

the contribution rom other nitrogen sources such

as clipping, recycling, or microorganism release

besides ertilizer as well as the eiciency o ertilizer

nitrogen uptake by turgrass. Soil actors, weather,

and climate are also important considerations.

332 Phosphorus

Phosphorus is very persistent and should bemanaged eiciently. When managing phospho-

rus, take soil temperature into consideration.

Phosphorus exists in water in either a particulate

phase or a dissolved phase. Particulate matter

includes living and dead plankton, phosphorus

precipitates, phosphorus adsorbed to particu-

lates, and amorphous phosphorus. The dissolved

phase includes inorganic phosphorus and organic

phosphorus.

The ate o residual phosphorus includes:

Precipitation as insoluble or slowly soluble

chemical orms.

Loss in runo or leaching.

Phosphorus in natural waters is usually ound

in the orm o phosphates (PO4

-3). Phosphates can

be in inorganic orm (including orthophosphates

and polyphosphates), or organic orm (organically-

bound phosphates). Fertilizers generally contain

phosphorus in the orm o orthophosphate, which

is the orm used by plants. Orthophosphate is

sometimes reerred to as reactive phosphorus. It

is the most soluble orm o phosphorous, although

it is much less soluble than nitrogen, and thereore

much less mobile. Soils can bind phosphorus, but

once they become saturated, the excess phosphates

can be carried into surace waters with storm

runo.

Phosphates are not toxic to people or animals

unless they are present in very high levels.

However, excess phosphorus in aquatic systems can

promote algae growth and subsequent consump-

tion o oxygen upon degradation. Depleted oxygen

can lead to death o aquatic organisms.

Certain water bodies have been determined by

state regulatory agencies to be water quality limited

based on the presence o phosphorus. A gol course

Superintendent should be aware o these designa-

tions and incorporate steps in the nutrient manage-

ment plan to meet Total Maximum Daily Loads

(TMDLs) or the water bodies.

In summary, apply phosphorus ertilizer

only when soil tests show the need. Minimize

phosphorus loss to the environment by tailwater

elimination/containment and by erosion controls.

Remediation eorts should be targeted on special

areas based on the phosphorus sources and trans-

port actors. Keep in mind, many organic sources

o ertilizer have high ration levels o phosphorous

in relation to other nutrients.

333 Potassium

Turgrass requirements or potassium are inter-

mediate in relation to nitrogen and phosphorus

levels. Potassium is an essential component needed

in plant growth. Although applied to maximize

eiciency o uptake, potassium does not pose the

extent o environmental risk that excess nitrogen

and phosphorus levels represent. Proper levels o

potassium are an important component o plant

disease resistance and contribute to the ability o

turgrass to withstand wear and traic stress.


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Documents

OGCSA Guidelines 2010