ROOTED IN Stewardship.
A Trusted Voice for Turfgrass in New York
The New York State Turfgrass Association (NYSTA) is the premier Northeast green industry organization, uniting professionals who cultivate, maintain, and advocate for high-quality turfgrass statewide. For more than 75 years, NYSTA has championed excellence through education, innovative research, and career development — advancing environmental stewardship and best-in-class management practices across turfgrass disciplines. The association serves as a powerful voice in public policy for the following industry sections — promoting science-based decision-making that balances economic vitality with ecological responsibility:
LAWN & LANDSCAPE
GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT
SPORTS TURF
CEMETERY CARE
PARKS & RECREATION
SOD FARMS
EQUIPMENT MANAGERS
EDUCATORS
STUDENTS
INDUSTRY SALES & MANUFACTURERS
Facts & Figures
3.4 MILLION ACRES OF TURFGRASS IN NEW YORK
Acreage is larger than the State of Connecticut!
Ecosystem Services of Turfgrass
Provides critical wildlife habitat for densely populated, environmentally sensitive regions.
Turfgrass lowers surface temperatures to help cool cities and reduce energy demand.
Green infrastructure mitigates extreme rainfall and helps offset taxpayer costs for stormwater storage and treatment.
Vegetation and soils filter runoff, reduce peak flows, and recharge aquifers.
Trees and turf remove pollutants to support cleaner, healthier air for communities.
Greenspaces connect people with nature for mental health, wellness, fitness, and recreation.
IMPACT OF THE GOLF SECTOR FOR NEW YORK STATE
ECONOMIC STRENGTH
$12.9B TOTAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT
$3.8B ANNUAL WAGES AND BENEFITS
89,044 TOTAL JOBS
$6.9B DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT
$1.7B GOLF TOURISM
$1B STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
COMMUNITY IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
833 COURSES STATEWIDE
72% PUBLIC COURSES
153 MUNICIPAL COURSES 63% LESS THAN $50 PER ROUND
14,284 CHARITABLE EVENTS SUPPORTED BY GOLF FACILITIES
$267.4M RAISED FOR LOCAL NEW YORK CHARITIES
103,000 ACRES GREENSPACE <.5%
NY TOTAL ANNUAL WATER CONSUMPTION
98% OF COURSES USE 3 OR MORE WATER REDUCTION STRATEGIES 37%
WASTE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS
Total economic impact exceeds the combined output of New York craft beverages, horse racing, and New York Yankees’ home games.
Iconic clubs, spectator championships, and widespread public access, like Bethpage Black — the first public course to host a U.S. Open and the 2025 Ryder Cup.
NYC Ranks #1 as the Most Impervious US City. Urban golf greenspace of +3,800 acres cools the city and provides climate resilience.
ROOTED IN NEW YORK
TURFGRASS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP FUND
Investment in Education, Workforce, and Environmental Stewardship.
REQUEST: We respectfully request that a line item of $350,000 be appropriated for the New York Greengrass Association in the 2026-2027 budget for the Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Fund.
BACKGROUND: The turfgrass industry plays a vital role in New York State’s economy, environment, and overall quality of life. Covering approximately 3.4 million acres in the state, turfgrass is found in lawns, parks, golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms, institutional campuses, utility corridors, and more. Given its statewide reach, turfgrass plays a foundational role in shaping the health, beauty, and resilience of New York’s communities.
The importance of turfgrass has been especially evident in recent years. Turfgrass spaces offer critical outdoor areas for recreation, exercise, and mental well-being, helping residents stay connected to nature and one another. Beyond its economic and social value, turfgrass provides essential environmental benefits. Healthy turf systems help recharge groundwater by holding rainfall, filtering pollutants, reducing noise, lowering air temperatures, and generating abundant clean oxygen. In addition, dense turfgrass offers safe, cushioned surfaces for athletes and children, while enhancing the appearance and livability of urban and suburban landscapes.
A $350,000 appropriation will fund unique projects that exemplify the mission of the Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Fund. The 2025–26 State budget allocation of $250,000 funded eleven projects advancing science-based management, professional development, and job growth:
1. Best Management Practices for NYS Golf Courses: Continued Implementation of Golf Course Environmental Stewardship Efforts
2. Green Industry Educational Webinars – Continued Implementation
3. Promote Professionalism Through Access to Online Education
4. Workforce Development - Apprenticeship Program Marketing and Outreach
5. Communicate Golf’s Water Sustainability Efforts and Advocate for Science Based Water Allotment for Long Island Golf Courses
6–10. Environmental Stewardship Education Across New York State
11. New York Greengrass Association Outreach
NYSTA POSITION: NYSTA is dedicated to supporting the state’s green industry by delivering education, facilitating professional networks, advocating for sound policy, promoting research, and fostering youth engagement and career development. NYSTA champions environmentally responsible turf management, guided by science that shows it is possible to maintain highquality turf while preserving environmental integrity.
THE TURFGRASS ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
FUND: 2025–2026 Projects
Turfgrass supports recreation, community spaces, and a vital statewide industry while delivering measurable environmental benefits, including carbon storage, stormwater management, erosion control, pollutant filtration, and air cooling. Healthy turf provides safe playing surfaces for our children and athletes of all ages, while strengthening local economies. Continued TESF funding advances certified apprenticeships, workforce development, education, and outreach — ensuring environmentally responsible, science-based turfgrass management across New York. The 2025-2026 appropriation funded the following:
1
Best Management Practices for NYS Golf Courses: Continued Implementation of Golf Course Environmental Stewardship Efforts
The New York Golf Course Foundation, built on more than 13 years of New York State Best Management Practices (BMPs) in collaboration with superintendent leaders and Cornell University, advances science-based environmental stewardship on golf courses statewide. This project continues to strengthen operational sustainability and policy engagement.
Equipment Electrification Study:
Evaluate the economic, operational, and infrastructure impacts of transitioning from gas- and diesel-powered equipment to electric alternatives. Engineering analysis, industry consultation, and real-world proofof-concept performance comparisons will help assess labor, safety, emissions, and cost implications providing objective data to inform legislative discussions.
Statewide BMP Certification Roadmap:
Develop a framework for voluntary certification, thirdparty verification, and resourceuse benchmarking to strengthen documentation, accountability, and communication with policymakers aligned with established Best Management Practices.
2 Green Industry Educational Webinars
NYSTA’s online education platform delivers high-quality, NYSDEC-accredited programs that advance environmental stewardship statewide. Support from the 2025–2026 TESF appropriation enabled nine live webinars and an expanding archive of professional education.
The Winter Webinar Series reaches more than 1,200 participants annually, with 90% earning pesticide recertification credits. In partnership with Playbooks for Golf/Communitool, the program continues to provide accessible, research-based education to pesticide applicators and turf professionals across New York.
3
Promote Professionalism Through Access to Online Education
Through the use of TESF funding, NYSTA was able to remove financial barriers that could otherwise prevent professionals from maintaining licensure and remaining active in New York’s turfgrass workforce.
Expanded Access to Professional Education:
Provide past members facing financial constraints with complimentary access to a live or archived NYSDEC-accredited webinar, enabling them to secure required pesticide recertification credits and maintain regulatory compliance.
Higher Education Partnership:
Provide unlimited annual access to NYSTA’s webinar archive for SUNY Delhi and SUNY Farmingdale, integrating accredited coursework into academic programs and strengthening the next generation of industry professionals.
Workforce Development: NYSTA Apprenticeship Program Marketing & Outreach
NYSTA established a Registered Apprenticeship Program connecting employers with skilled professionals across New York to address workforce shortages in golf, sports turf, and landscape sectors.
As a State and National Occupational Credential, the program awards a recognized journey worker designation earned through structured on-thejob training, formal instruction, and professional development — raising wage potential and strengthening career pathways. Financial support from TESF enables NYSTA to sustain targeted marketing and outreach that increases employer participation, expands apprentice enrollment, and strengthens New York’s workforce pipeline:
• A statewide recruitment campaign using professional video storytelling, digital
These efforts support workforce stability, economic mobility, and long-term industry sustainability.
5 Communicate Golf’s Water Sustainability Efforts
and
Advocate
for Science Based Water Allotment for Long Island Golf Courses
The Long Island Golf Course Superintendents Association advances research, education, and environmental stewardship across the region’s golf facilities as climate pressures intensify.
Recent conditions and findings demonstrate:
Rainfall is less frequent but more intense, increasing reliance on precise soil moisture management and supplemental irrigation
Pumpage records from 2017–2021 showed 30 of 37 used less water than estimated by the USGA calculator
A 2018 NYSDEC audit of well permits prompted industry-wide data review and compliance evaluation
Advanced irrigation technology and BMPs reflect responsible groundwater stewardship
This initiative provides professionally developed outreach and communications of the LIGCSA Water Plan and BMPs in partnership with Radius Sports Group. These communications establish a standard for water sustainability and science-based data to inform permitting decisions and water policy discussions.
6-10 Environmental Stewardship
Education across New York State
Funding supports conferences and certification programs that strengthen professional development, regulatory compliance, and science-based environmental stewardship. Support offsets venue and speaker costs, with the TESF recognized at each event.
• Northeastern Golf Course Superintendents Association: Educational Symposium serving approximately 100 professionals, featuring expert presentations on BMPs, climate impacts, turf research, and pesticide recertification.
• Hudson Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association: Annual conference offering pesticide and aquatic management credits alongside sessions on environmental and operational BMPs.
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of New York: Conference covering weather trends, agronomy, aquatic management, workforce development, and pesticide recertification.
• Landscape Contractors Association of Long Island: Four 30-hour pesticide certification courses on groundwater protection, irrigation, pest management, and water-quality stewardship.
• New York State Turf & Landscape Association: Annual conference and trade show provided pesticide and arboriculture credits, regulatory updates, and BMPs.
11 New York Greengrass Association Outreach
Caring for the environment is a responsibility we all share. Environmental stewardship demands measurable action and responsible management of the land entrusted to us. Across New York, turfgrass professionals apply science-based practices that protect water quality, improve climate resilience, and sustain vital green infrastructure for communities. This commitment is advanced through:
RESEARCH
Informs data-driven decision-making.
EDUCATION
Strengthens regulatory compliance & environmental performance.
OUTREACH
Equips professionals, students, & partners with proven best practices.
Our in-person Education Day in Albany and ongoing publication of research findings distributed to NYSTA members, non-members, and students across the industry, delivers the knowledge and accountability that support sound policy, responsible operations, and long-term environmental resilience across New York State.
