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California Golf Course Superintendents Government Relations Network Update On Tuesday February 4, Tim Howe (representative from George Steffes) and myself met with Deputy Director Dirk Brazil and Chief of Inland Fisheries Edmund Pert of the Department of Fish and Game to discuss the California Triploid Grass Carp Program. We followed many of the network members letters and e-mails concerning the grass carp program. At this meeting we were informed that the California Grass Carp Program was not going to be eliminated but only reorganized. The program administrator, located in San Diego, will be reassigned elsewhere and the administration of the program will shift to Sacramento. Each departmental region of the Fish and Game will now be in charge of implementing the program in their own districts/regions. Although details of this arrangement have not been worked out as of yet, Mr. Edmund Pert will probably oversee the entire program and delegate regionally to the necessary individuals in each Fish and Game district. The CGCSA expressed their concerns regarding this reorganization and the potential for individuals in the department in certain regions to improperly administer the Triploid Grass Carp Program. Mr. Pert acknowledged our concerns and promised to work with the CGCSA in whatever way possible to make the program better. In essence each property that now has the grass carp, through the program, will now be in the future months ahead, dealing with the regional officials of the Department of Fish in their particular district. Once the CGCSA gathers more information we will post the contacts on our web site. Once these contacts are established all new applications for grass carp will go to those respective regions for approval or denial respectively. For all of those individuals in the Network that responded to this issue (and there were many) thank you. This type of grass roots campaigning does work and you can and do make a difference. Stay tuned for more on this issue and other issues as they arise. Jim Husting,
CGCS, Chairman
Help Save this program! As stated earlier last week the California Triploid Grass Carp Program is facing elimination due to the budgetary crisis facing the state. Many of you have cc`d me your communiques to the contacts I listed last week. Below are some good samples of the communication we need to be doing to the contacts listed below. Please feel free to use the ideas and angles of the letters in your communications. Thank you for all of those that have responded. We need more to respond so please help out if you can. An e mail would be great and is easy to do. Be advised that the government does not accept e mails with attachments so your communication must be included within the text of the e mail. Also include your current address. Thank you for all of your help!!! Jim Husting, CGCS, Chairman
> Honorable Gray Davis
I am writing to express my concerns regarding
the proposed suspension of the State of California Triploid Grass Carp
Program. This pro-active program has provided the golf course superintendents
in the State of California with the ability to become chemically independent
in the control of aquatic weeds. In today's sensitive environmental arena
we strive to become exceptional " stewards of the land " by attempting
to effectively do our jobs with a bare minimum of chemical applications.
Respectfully,
> Randal Gai CGCS
Mr. Robert Hight
It is with great concern that I have learned of the suspension of the California Triploid Grass Carp Program. As golf course superintendents, we are always trying to find ways to better manage our golf courses and be good stewards of the environment. The Triploid Grass Carp Program has enabled hundreds of golf courses in the state to greatly reduce the amount of pesticides used to control our aquatic weeds in ponds and lakes. The elimination of this program would greatly increase pesticide usage for these situations. Currently many California Golf Course Superintendents utilize the grass carp in their Integrated Pest Management programs (IPM). This program is vital to these IPM programs. This program actually contributes to the California Department of Fish and Games budget through permit fees, stocking fees and yearly renewal fees. If anything this program should be allowed to expand and prosper so that it can contribute more to the departments budgetary problems. The California Golf Course Superintendents Association represents the
over 1100 golf courses throughout the state. On behalf of the California
Golf Course Superintendents Association I urge you to not eliminate The
California Triploid Grass Carp Program.
Sincerely, James C. Husting, CGCS, Chairman
Contacts to use!!!!! Honorable Governor Gray Davis
Mr. Robert Hight
Senator Byron Sher
Assembly Member Fran Pavley
The California Department of Fish and Game has now authorized the usage of the triploid grass carp by permit in every county in California. Grass Carp Permit Address Triploid
Grass Carp Program
See Below for further information Department of Fish and Games
Annual Report:
The Fish and Game will
expand the usage into six more counties as of January 1, 1999. These counties
are,
This has been a long and hard struggle to obtain the right in California to use this very important alternative to pesticides to combat aquatic weeds in golf course ponds and lakes. Let's support the program as much as possible. UPDATE: Go To: PERMITAPPLICATION FORM
Go To: Permit
Instructions for Triploid Grass Carp Stocking Application
Triplod Grass Carp: California
Code of Regulation
Grass Carp Permit Address:
***Marty Muschinske, is available to attend your chapter meetings to discuss the Grass Carp Program.*** We can be pleased, in the past two (2) years the
California GCSA and our lobbing program with George Steffes has been successful
in the passage of Senate Bill 472 and Senate Bill 1712.
Government Impact EPA Decision Impact The California GCSA is trying to make the political leaders of our Nation,
aware of the our concerns when decisions are about to be made that will
effect our industry.
If you would also like to write a letter to your federal legislators, their addresses can be found at:
Revised April 8, 2005, 2004
Contact Information
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