I am honored to have been elected to a second term as Chairman of Oregonians for Food and Shelter last week. Since serving on the board over the last eight years, things haven’t always been directly related to golf. OFS is a coalition of foresters, farmers and spray applicators, all with the common goal of preserving our right to use pesticides safely and above the law.

The experience that I am getting by being the OFS Board Chair has been wonderful. I am more connected now with Oregon’s natural resource community and I’m getting firsthand knowledge in working with all facets of governmental affairs. In the long run, my goal is giving golf course management a voice across the coalition.

The reason OFS has been so successful in such a left leaning climate is the use of the coalition. When we advocate for the use of pest control product or a method of application, we can demonstrate a wider impact across the entire natural resource industry. Legislators are always more concerned when it comes to impacting a broader community than when it’s just a small sector. It’s an “all in” approach and has continued to be successful here in Oregon.

I flew to D.C. with OFS Executive Director Katie Fast and record-holding former Oregon State tight end and Lone Rock Timber Management Company Forest Manager Joe Newton to lobby with members of the Oregon Farm Bureau. Many of our topics of discussion fell right in line with GCSAA’s priority list. A few were far from it, however, which included hemp production and the upcoming federal rules, which were published October 31. We also discussed WOTUS, Chlorpyrifos, PIRA funding, IR4 funding, the Agricultural Appropriations Bill, agricultural research, BLM, forest fire control, and Oregon’s upcoming initiatives which include the banning of aerial pesticide application on forest land and agricultural labor (H-2A). I was able to add H-2B to the conversation, as well.

We had quite a lot on our plate but managed to have an extremely productive week. We were met with Oregon’s high-ranking delegation as well as key personnel with the USDA, EPA, and the Department of the Interior. GCSAA's Bob Helland was able to attend our meetings with Senator Jeff Merkley and Congressman Kurt Schrader. It was great to have Bob along and to be able to introduce him as GCSAA's in-town lobbyist. We even managed to get in a few words on our BMP initiative.

We wrapped up the week meeting with Beau Greenwood of CropLife and Anthony LaFauce of the Clyde Group. CropLife has been the life blood of OFS. Beau realizes how valuable we are in the fight against unjust regulations and is instrumental in providing financial assistance. Anthony had just returned from Oregon where our own Michael Lee was in attendance for of his advocacy training sessions in Salem. I had attended one of Anthony’s sessions in Washington state earlier this year and encouraged GCSAA's government affairs team to look into it for our Grassroots Ambassador advocacy training. 

I have never been prouder to be walking the halls of Capitol Hill and have people see my GCSAA lapel pin and know right away who I represent. Our government affairs team has spent tireless hours there and have fostered relationships that are paying huge dividends. If you have never been to Washington D.C., I would strongly recommend attending National Golf Day. The experience of the day alone is incredible, but you will also get such a wonderful experience of our nation’s capital. The National Mall at night is a must-see!

Here is a brief agenda of my week's meetings in D.C..

Wednesday

• Trade Briefing, David Salmonson, Director of Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau
• Anna Osterland, Chief of Staff, Agriculture Marketing Service, USDA Hemp Rules
• Tate Bennett, EPA Deputy Administrator
• Senator Jeff Merkley (Bob Helland attended)

Thursday

• Congressman Kurt Schrader (Bob Helland attended)
• Tim Williams, Principal Director, External and Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Secretary, US Department of the Interior
• Congressman Greg Walden
• Sheryl Kunickis, Ph.D., Director, USDA Department of Agriculture
• Brock Densel, Policy Advisor, Research, Education and Economics, USDA Department of Agriculture

Friday

• Beau Greenwood, CropLife America
• Anthony LaFauce, The Clyde Group
• Scott Yager, Chief Environmental Counsel, National Cattleman’s Beef Association