Monthly Feature Hosted By:
	David Phipps, GCSAA Class A member at Stone Creek Golf Club, Oregon City, Ore.

The Oregon Environmental Stewardship Guidelines were developed by superintendents as part of their ongoing environmental stewardship efforts. Those guidelines promote best management practices that not only protect the environment but communicate the importance of golf and the environment as well. The establishment of best management practices and guidelines show due diligence and can foster good relationships with regulatory agencies. Another great example is the Safe Harbor Program which has been developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a means to protect threatened and endangered species habitat while recognizing those who are participating in the program.

The Safe Harbor Program was developed to encourage voluntary conservation by offering private land owners regulatory relief or in other words a “safe harbor” for the protection of endangered species. In this case study, the Pinehurst Resort was the first private landowner to sign up for this program to help protect the red-cockaded woodpecker. Currently, there is less than 3 percent of the estimated woodpecker population than at the time of European settlement. The red-cockaded woodpeckers were given federal protection in 1973 with the passage of the Endangered Species Act.

Since then, over 100 participants have enrolled in the program. Landowners have agreed to forgo cutting trees on a portion of their property for a specified period of time so that the trees can grow old and tall enough to be of value to species that depend on older forests. In this case, the Safe Harbor agreements help to eliminate the harvesting of immature trees by the landowners just to avoid the possibility of facing harvest restrictions for mature trees because of the endangered species.

Since the Safe Harbor program has been initiated, it has expanded to other states and for other species as well. Other examples include Kirtland's warblers in Michigan, which nest exclusively in stands of young jack pines; Karner blue butterflies in New England and the Great Lakes states, whose caterpillars feed on only lupines in sunny clearings; Plymouth red-bellied turtles in Massachusetts, which require open, sunny pond shores for successful egg-laying. Landowners who can implement environmental management practices protecting threatened and endangered species may qualify for a Safe Harbor agreement.

If you are interested in seeing if there is a Safe Harbor program or other wildlife program in your state contact your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife office. You may be surprised how you could make an impact.

Congratulations to Bob Farren, CGCS, and his staff at Pinehurst for all of their great work with the Safe Harbor program and also recipients of the 2007 GCSAA President's Award for Environmental Stewardship. It is also my privilege to introduce Bob as our new 2008 Green Links host. If you would like to help Bob get an early start for 2008 and receive .25 service points, please contact him at Bob.Farren@pinehurst.com or Mark Johnson at GCSAA.

If you are compelled to share an environmental case study, we would love to hear from you. Your completed case study will earn you 0.25 service points. If you have any questions feel free to contact myself at dcphipps@bctonline.com or Mark Johnson, GCSAA’s Senior Manager, Environmental Programs.

July's Guest:
	Robert O. Farren Jr, CGCS, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, Pinehurst, N.C.

Pinehurst Resort remains very proud of our involvement in the North Carolina Sandhills Safe Harbor Program. We are pleased to be recognized as the first private landowner in the program and hope our involvement can inspire others to join. The Sandhills region of North Carolina is home to 45 golf courses, many of which include endangered species habitat along its tree-lined fairways. Pinehurst Resort has long been recognized as a leader in the golf industry for its innovative practices, and our dedication to the Safe Harbor Program is an example of a successful partnership with environmental advocacy groups.

Pinehurst's commitment has enabled us to be proactive in managing our property in a way that is mutually beneficial. The primary factor involved in enhancing the habitat for the red cockaded woodpecker is to keep the pine forest under-story clear of undesirable species, mostly deciduous trees. Interestingly, what’s good for the birds in this case is also good for the golfers. We balance the areas we clear for the Safe Harbor Program with a number of areas along the edges of our property and along wetlands that remain natural and un-cut for other species. We recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of the program's start on our property and have been able to incorporate such activities with very little impact to our overall operations.