EPA denies petition on 2,4-D pesticide
Environmental Protection Agency
In a petition filed on Nov. 6, 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council requested that EPA cancel all product registrations and revoke all tolerances (legal residue limits in food) for the pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D. After considering public comment received on the petition and all available studies, EPA is denying the request to revoke all tolerances and the request to cancel all registrations. By way of background, in 2005, as part of the regulatory process to ensure pesticides meet current regulatory standards, EPA completed a review on the registration and on the safety of the tolerances for 2,4-D. EPA determined that all products containing 2,4-D are eligible for reregistration provided certain changes were incorporated into the labels and additional data were generated and submitted to the EPA for review.More

Golf on the upswing in Nebraska
WorldGolf.com
Nebraska appears to be bucking a trend when it comes to the business of golf. Across the nation, golfers played fewer rounds in 2011, but in Nebraska, play increased. One reason is the Golf Nebraska campaign that launched last year by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development's Travel and Tourism Division. Gov. Dave Heineman shared information about the impact of the campaign at the Nebraska Golf Day event at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course in Lincoln.More

School program uses golf to teach students about science
KOMO-TV News
Not many school field trips include a round of golf, but a unique teaching program is doing just that by taking students out of the classroom and onto the greens. For a group of Bellevue, Wash., seventh-graders, a round of miniature golf is not so subtly disguised as science. "I learned about the soil at the golf course, the salmon, and kind of how to putt a little better," said student Markus Schiffer.More

Alliance establishes accessible golf advisory board
National Alliance for Accessible Golf
The National Alliance for Accessible Golf announces the establishment of an official advisory board. The advisory board will serve as a complement to the Alliance's governing board of directors. It will be comprised of a maximum of 12 individuals from the academic, corporate, cultural, disability, golf and political communities and will be co-chaired by the Alliance president. The advisory board selection was finalized and approved during the December 2011 board of directors meeting.More

USGA announces production of '1962 U.S. Open: Jack's First Major'
USGA
The USGA announces the production of "1962 U.S. Open: Jack's First Major," the USGA's first ever film produced for network television. The one-hour documentary chronicles Jack Nicklaus' first U.S. Open victory in 1962 at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., which set in motion one of the most prolific careers in professional golf and at the same time ignited one of the greatest rivalries in sport between Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.More

Vlach, staff have TPC Sawgrass ready for Players
GCSAA
Competitors and observers of the Players Championship, May 10-13, will notice some subtle and not-so-subtle course modifications that could result in a change in strategy from the past, according to Tom Vlach, CGCS, director of agronomy at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.More

Federal judge blocks H-2B visa overhaul
GCSAA
In a victory for seasonal H-2B employers, including those at golf facilities, a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Labor from implementing the H-2B visa program overhaul rule. The rule was slated to go into effect April 27. On April 18, National Golf Day, GCSAA delegation raised concerns with federal lawmakers about the future of the H-2B visa program, which is essential for businesses that cannot fill seasonal jobs with American workers.More

Publicize summer jobs online
GCSAA
GCSAA members are encouraged to work with their peers at golf facilities to help publicize summer employment opportunities for youth. The U.S. Department of Labor has created the Summer Jobs+ program to help businesses communicate available jobs for youth through a variety of online databases. GCSAA was recognized earlier this year by the DOL as a 2011 Summer Jobs Champion for the contributions the industry makes to youth employment opportunities.More

Why business must shift from resource managers to resource leaders
GreenBiz
Around the world, natural resources companies — producers of agricultural staples, oil and gas, lumber and wood products, basic chemicals and many minerals — are facing unprecedented volatility in supply and demand. The global population is poised to reach 9 billion by 2050, and much of the growth will be in emerging markets. These challenges suggest that we need a new way to think about natural resources — a shift in mindset from simply managing resources to practicing resource leadership.More

5 steps to better leadership charisma
Inc.
Leadership charisma and personal charisma are very different things. They both involve the same kinds of personal attributes — the ability to project confidence, the capacity to engage others, skill in articulating ideas, vision and goals — which may explain why some leaders aim for one when they should be developing the other.More

Why valuing your workers as assets makes financial sense
GreenBiz
You've heard your CEO say, "Our employees are our greatest asset." But if you've reviewed company financial statements recently, employees are not technically classified as assets — or valued that way either. In official accounting terms, people are regarded as expenses on the income statement and appear as liabilities on the balance sheet. R. Paul Herman, CEO of HIP Investor, which manages money for investors seeking sustainable portfolios, disagrees with this assessment of a company's employees. More