by
Government Affairs Team
| Feb 09, 2021
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America joined a group of national specialty pesticide and fertilizer and other green industry associations to sign onto two letters to U.S. Senate committees of jurisdiction urging confirmation of Secretary-elect Michael Regan as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Honorable Thomas Vilsack as Secretary-elect of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Secretary-elect Regan currently serves as Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality and has primarily focused on conservation and clean-up in the state. Secretary Vilsack previously served in the same post at USDA for eight years under the Obama Administration.
In a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, GCSAA, along with eight other green industry associations, wrote, “The prompt confirmation of Mr. Regan will allow EPA to continue its vital mission of protecting the public health and environment without interruption. Under his leadership, we are hopeful that the regulatory decisions made by the Agency will be transparent, grounded in science, and protective of the public health and environment.”
Writing to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, the green industry organizations pointed to Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to conservation and the protection of our natural resources and the agency’s “critical role in the management of invasive species and wildfires, as well as promoting stewardship and land conservation practices.” The letter closes by emphasizing that the swift confirmation of the Secretary-elect “will allow the Department to continue its vital mission without interruption”.
These President Biden nominees are two of many who will impact the water, pesticide and labor issues critical to the golf course management industry. For more insight into the federal regulatory and legislative forecast and Presidential appointments affecting golf course management, attend The State of Policy and Politics in 2021 on Tuesday, Feb 2nd at 3:10 eastern, the first of three virtual sessions hosted by the GCSAA Government Affairs team at the 2021 virtual Golf Industry Show. This government affairs session is open to all registered attendees at the virtual GIS and will recognize the California Alliance for Golf, winner of the 2021 Excellence in Government Affairs award and a special guest speaker.