The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) and Toro, a supplier of turfgrass equipment selected, Nancy Pierce, Superintendent of the Links at Crowbush Cove golf course, as the Environmental Achievement award winner for 2002. The award is bestowed to a superintendent who displays the best overall commitment to environmentalism and demonstration of the value of these initiatives to golf clubs and the golf industry at large.
The award recognizes and promotes a holistic use of the CGSA Environmental Management Resource Manual, a tool that ensures environmental compliance for golf courses in Canada and is a comprehensive document on environmental issues for the industry.
Minister of Tourism Jeffrey Lantz noted, "I would like to commend Nancy on this great honour. The success at Crowbush points to the care and attention given to environmental issues at this course as it is at provincial courses across the Island." He added, "The CGSA/Toro award is recognition that a golf course can be highly ranked, as in the case of Crowbush which is number six in Canada, and also be environmentally friendly."
Crowbush's mission statement claims "to provide well-groomed playing surfaces, excellent service, tremendous value and a links experience to our visitors while maintaining the integrity and beauty of the natural environment." Working from this mission statement, management undertook their groundwater protection project and to date have had excellent results from water resource testing. Since some of the monitoring commitments have been in place for almost a decade, it follows that the environmental protection measures for the protection of the quantity and quality of Crowbush's groundwater resources have been a unequivocal success.
At a gathering in Calgary, Alberta, Ms. Pierce accepted the award and dedicated it to the late Alan Godfrey who worked with the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment and provided invaluable resources during the entire process.
"The CGSA is extremely proud of the commitment of its members in establishing sound environmental management programs," noted Jim Nix of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association. "Ms. Nancy Pierce demonstrates this commitment in an exemplary manner and we would like to congratulate her on winning the 2002 CGSA/Toro Environmental Achievement Award. We would also like to recognize the Links at Crowbush Cove for their continued support of environmentally sound practices."