TPI ON CAPITOL HILL By Casey Reynolds, PhD
Turfgrass Producers International and others in the National Turfgrass Federation were on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., from May 14-16 to discuss legislative and regulatory issues impacting turfgrass producers in the United States and the natural grass industry as a whole. I joined other representatives from the turfgrass industry, which included Dr. Brian Schwartz from the University of Georgia, Dr. Mike Kenna from the United States Golf Association (USGA), Kevin Morris, executive director of the National Turfgrass Federation (NTF), Ben Copeland Jr. from Super-Sod, Bob Helland from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), and Jonathan Moore, TPI’s policy consultant in Washington, D.C. We visited Senate and Congressional offices representing citizens from Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wisconsin as well as multiple federal agencies. Primary areas of discussion included transportation, federal research funds, and public- private partnerships to further the natural grass industry.
Part of our time in Washington, D.C., was spent visiting with Senate and Congressional representatives to gather support for federal research funds devoted to the natural grass industry. If appropriated, these funds would support research all over the United States from Arizona, Utah and Georgia in the southwest and southeast, to Maryland and Wisconsin in the transition zone and north. Tese areas are strategically located and already have reputable, ongoing research programs in heat, drought, and salt tolerance as well as winter hardiness, genome sequencing, and ecosystem services. All of these areas will continue to be important in the future of the natural grass industry and what role it plays in urban ecosystems world-wide. As it currently stands however, the natural grass industry is substantially under-funded at the federal level when compared to more traditional agriculture commodities. However, rapid urbanization in the United States and abroad is bringing into the light ecosystem services and value provided by natural landscapes. Research that quantifies this value is vital in understanding public policy and urban development which will likely continue to increase in the future. As such, the National Turfgrass Federation is trying to get ahead of the curve and put resources in place to advance the natural grass industry through federal appropriations devoted to efforts in ecosystem services and the development of new, stress-tolerant varieties that bring value to the industry while also conserving natural resources.
In addition to meeting with Senate and Congressional offices to discuss federal research, we also spent time with administrators from the United States Department of
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National Turfgrass Federation (NTF) delegates on the East Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. From L-R: Bob Helland (GCSAA), Dr. Brian Schwartz (UGA-Tifton), Dr. Mike Kenna (USGA), Ben Copeland, Jr. (Super-Sod), Dr. Casey Reynolds (TPI), and Kevin Morris (NTF executive director).
Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS), the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FIFA). Each of these federal agencies has a vested interest in agricultural research, and we continue to work with them to explore opportunities to promote the natural grass industry. Much of these discussions revolved around federal grant opportunities, public-private partnerships, and how to fund university research through competitive grant proposals. Many existing programs have historically focused on traditional agriculture such as food and fiber, but with increasing urbanization there may be future opportunities to devote more resources to non-traditional agricultural crops such as natural grass. Te National Turfgrass Federation will continue to explore potential sources for research funds, while also working with university personnel to investigate current opportunities.
TPI was also in Washington, D.C., to continue gathering support for H.R. 1673, also called “Te Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019.” Tis bill was introduced to amend the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 with respect to the definition of agricultural
TPI Turf News July/August 2019
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