The need for state-level best management practices (BMP) programs is greater than ever. Many golf courses in urban environments are seen as much less than the positive green spaces we know them to be. In this 90-minute webinar, J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., and Stacey Kingsbury will cover the nuts and bolts of BMP planning and development. After a short recap on the basics of Why, the instructors will detail the specifics of starting a state BMP program. Questions to be covered will include:
- Who should be at the table?
- How much does it cost to develop a state BMP program?
- How can state BMP programs be funded?
- How long does it take to develop?
GCSAA’s BMP Planning Guide and Template is an online resource that provides the key steps to developing a golf course BMP program at the state level. Listen in to learn more about making it work for you. This recording has the option to play closed captions.
Original presentation date: March 13, 2017
Education points: 0.20
Member price: $0
Non-member price: $0
About the instructors
J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., is a Professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida, IFAS, West Florida Research and Education Center. He earned his bachelors and masters degrees at Kansas State University and his Ph.D. at Iowa State University. Unruh’s integrated turfgrass science research and extension program focuses on water quality (nutrient impairment) and quantity (drought), pest management, and new cultivar development. Results from his team’s work are included in all three Florida turf industry Best Management Practice (BMP) manuals (Florida Friendly BMPs for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries; BMPs for the Enhancement of Environmental Quality on Florida Golf Courses; and Water Quality/Quantity BMPs for Florida Sod). Unruh led his UF colleagues to develop the content for the GCSAA BMP Planning Guide and Template for the US Golf Course Management industry. His research improves quality of life by providing aesthetically pleasing green space and safe places in which to recreate. His work demonstrates that these green spaces are sustainable and can coexist with nature without negative environmental impact.
Stacey Kingsbury provides consulting services associated with the technical and communication needs for environmental quality-related projects. She earned her bachelors in Biology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University and her a masters in Environmental Management from Yale University. For the last six years, Kingsbury has been assisting golf course superintendents to help develop, promote and provide education and outreach associated with best management practices for golf courses. Other projects have included working with teams of state and federal regulators, industry representatives, and stakeholders to develop technical and regulatory guidance related to promote the use and acceptance of innovative technologies for environmental remediation. Prior to taking on consulting work, her professional roles included a senior manager in the defense industry, charged with coordinating projects related to the cleanup of unexploded munitions and ten years as a regulator in a state environmental department.
