Friday, June 1, 2012

IGM’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence

International Golf Maintenance (IGM) is committed to the continuous enhancement of the environment, conserving natural resources and protecting precious wildlife habitat. We are leaders in environmental performance through stewardship, education, employee involvement and the utilization of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as well as sound Best Management Practices (BMP). We are committed to providing high quality services in a manner that ensures a safe and healthy workplace for our employees and minimizes our potential impact on the environment. 

IGM Staff building nest boxes at community event

We recognize that economic development needs to be compatible with human welfare and a healthy environment. To ignore this is to risk increasing social, environmental and financial costs. Our role in managing and reducing environmental risk is one we take seriously and we regularly work in conjunction with governmental agencies, organizations and individuals to ensure our goals are achieved. We are committed to work together with all of those who share our commitment and endeavor to identify realistic, sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the golf industry.

We commit ourselves as stewards of the environment to:

-    Promote environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an environmentally responsible manner with a firm commitment to train, educate and inform our employees about environmental issues that may affect their work

-    Communicate our environmental commitment to clients, customers and the public and encourage them to support in their own way

-    Encourage and reward our supply base for working with us to implement changes in their operating procedures that will improve environmental and sustainability initiatives

-    Promote efficient use of materials and resources throughout our facility including water, electricity, raw materials and other resources, particularly those that are non-renewable

-    Integrate the consideration of environmental concerns and impacts into all of our decision making activities

-    Avoid unnecessary use of hazardous materials and products, seek substitutions when feasible, and take all reasonable steps to protect human health and the environment when such materials must be used, stored and disposed of

-    Ensure that we have environmental champions in each and every property and at each and every level in the organization

Everyday at each of IGM’s golf courses, our managers are acutely aware of the impact our operations can have on the local, regional, and global environment. That is why we apply chemicals fastidiously and consistently with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - the practice of scouting the golf course, discovering pests, determining thresholds when the pest populations reach damaging levels, and taking appropriate measures. These measures range from altering irrigation patterns and adjusting mowing heights to employing competing biological agents and applying traditional pesticides. The IPM strategy employs these measures in a sequence that has the least impact on natural environmental conditions to attain the desired result of reducing and maintaining pest populations below damaging levels. 

Fledglings in IGM nest box

The ultimate desire of IGM is to provide a foolproof, customer-driven service that will free up course managers to care for customers, the property and our environment. Properly designed and implemented, our environmental commitment program will help our customers to keep the facility in compliance with the ever-changing environmental rules and regulations and assist in achieving certification with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.