GCSAA publishes specialized information on a frequent basis that drills down on top advocacy issues and activities.
GCSAA has signed onto a letter to the House Agriculture Committee in support of the proposed “Plant Biostimulant Act”. This draft legislation would help ensure access to these important nutrients, which help encourage turf and plant growth. Biostimulants are an important tool for many golf course superintendents, however, their access is by no means guaranteed. Uncertainty remains as to which products should fall into this category as well as to how to best define those that do. This in turn hurts efforts to bring biostimulants to market. Federal regulators need to to step in to provide a uniform definition of biostimulants and to set up a regulatory process that allows them to be evaluated for such things as efficacy and safety.
The Plant Biostimulant Act is part of a larger coalition effort, which includes the GCSAA. This coalition is working to build a continued dialogue with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA on plant biostimulant products. The goal is to increase awareness of their benefits, including the continued reduction of nutrient runoff and increased carbon sequestration, and how they help federal decision-makers meet the challenges of climate change and promote stewardship and conservation goals. As Congress debates the next Farm Bill, the coalition will work to see that this legislation is included. GCSAA will continue to have a “seat at the table” to make sure that superintendents continue to have access to this important tool.