The ultimate goal of Links to the Bay is a healthy and productive Chesapeake Bay through forging partnerships with businesses, governments, universities and not-for-profit organizations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, that will agree to take action on environmental, economic and social topics to improve their properties and ultimately the Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is huge, stretching from New York State to Virginia. There are presently approximately 17 million people living in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Approximately 150,000 new residents move into the watershed each year and it is estimated by the year 2030 that 20 million people will live in the watershed. Sound environmental management equals good economic management. “We are not just looking for partners for the sake of having partners; we are looking for opportunities to showcase efforts that are being made to improve the quality of the Bay as a way to motivate others to follow those examples,” said Ron Dodson, who dreamed up the idea of the Links to the Bay Initiative along with Ed Allenby a Vice President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
While Links to the Bay is aimed at working with essentially anyone and any business, the golf course business is taking the lead in the Initiative. A Links to the Bay Working group has been created and at present is comprised of representatives from Audubon International, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, United States Golf Association, The Brick Companies, Queenstown Harbor Golf Course, Sustainable Golf & Development, LLC, Mid-Atlantic Golf Course Superintendents Association, Chevy Chase Golf Club, and the Chesapeake Hills Golf Course. There are approximately 700 golf courses in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with just over 100 of those already members of the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program with just fewer than 50 of those certified by Audubon.
The Bay is in trouble and it has been for years, and the people and organizations involved in the Links to the Bay Initiative believe that they simply can’t follow the same course of action that has been taken in the past, in the face of a growing population and believe that somehow the Chesapeake Bay will become healthy and productive. The Bay Working Group believes that they must act in ways that make economic, environmental and social sense, showcase positive efforts being taken, inspire everyone in the watershed to action, and that sound environmental management equals good economic management.
“The Chesapeake Bay is an international icon and the most important estuary in the United States,” said Ron Dodson, President of Audubon International. “This is an opportunity for golf to take the lead in being stewards of the Chesapeake Bay, to demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship on the course, while at the same time motivate others in the watershed to follow golf’s lead.”
The Working Group has created the Links to the Bay Pledge as a simple way to publically pledge to join the efforts associated with the Initiative. Certification in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program is an additional step in documenting that a golf course is practicing environmental stewardship on the course.
The Mid Atlantic Golf Course Superintendents Association recently voted to endorse the Links to the Bay Initiative and Pledge and to promote participation by all the golf courses in their service area.
To help with Links to the Bay communication Audubon International has created http://www.linkstothebay.com as a web site and the Links to the Bay Working Group has created a blog which can be visited at: http://linkstothebay.blogspot.com