Pollinators BMPs

Best Management Practices for Pollinators on New York State Golf Courses i Figure 1. Both domestic honey bees (left) and any one of the 400+ species of wild pollinators in New York State (right) may forage on flowering plants on or near golf courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Figure 2. Following the pesticide label is a regulatory requirement and includes following instructions in the Bee Advisory Box added to pesticide labels in 2013. 2 Figure 3. Flowering weeds should be mowed before pesticides are applied to avoid impacting pollinators. 3 Figure 4. Bamboo sticks are an easy way to create nesting sites for bees. 4 Figure 5. Wood boxes with varying size drill holes provide nesting for different bee species. . . . . . 4 Figure 6. First summer of a newly established native wildflower area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 7. Established wildflower area in mid-summer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 8. Managed hives at Rockville Links Golf Club on Long Island. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Acknowledgements As the caretakers for the state’s golf courses, golf course superintendents are dedicated to protecting New York’s natural resources and have embraced the responsibility to maintain these facilities in harmony with the natural environment. Golf course superintendents and member associations throughout the state are united in partnership with professional and recreational golfers to take a leadership role in establishing Best Management Practices (BMPs) for golf courses in New York State. These BMPs are helping golf industry professionals to work in concert with lawmakers and regulators throughout the state, in a shared commitment to water quality protection and sound environmental stewardship. Since the New York State golf course BMPs were first published, pollinators have emerged as an issue of Contents Table of Figures Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i Pollinator Protection 1 Regulatory Considerations 2 Pest Management Practices that Reduce Impacts on Pollinators 3 Preserving and Enhancing Habitat on the Course . . . . . . 4 Managed Bee Hives on the Course 6 5 4 3 1 2 6 concern. Therefore, with funding from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the participation of Cornell University scientists and educators, the BMP project has developed and published BMPs specifically for pollinators in New York State. These continued efforts demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the state’s golf industry to implement BMPs and expand the knowledge base when needed. The New York Golf Course Foundation would like to thank GCSAA for funding this effort, Cornell University for providing its scientific expertise, the superintendents across the state who provided input, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for reviewing the BMPs prior to publication.