Connecticut Golfers: Contact Elected Officials Regarding "State Water Plan"
This an an urgent request asking you to reach out to your elected officials on a matter that could adversely affect golf and golf course operations in Connecticut.
The Issue
There is a public hearing at the State Capitol Tuesday, April 17 with a vote scheduled for Thursday, April 19 regarding language in Connecticut's proposed "State Water Plan." We believe references to "the Public Trust" should be removed from the proposed plan. We believe the inclusion of the Public Trust language could lead to arbitrary decisions on water usage that would be detrimental to golf course operations.
Background
The State Water Plan evolved from legislation introduced after a severe drought in the early 2000's. The plan has been revised and updated over the past 2 years through the work of a number of committees. The process has been deliberate and has included representation from a wide range of groups (including golf course superintendents) who rely on access to water for their livelihood, and possess a significant level of expertise in water use policy. The intent of the committees working on the Water Plan has been to “balance the use of water to meet all needs” and guide water policy throughout the state. It was not intended to be an enforceable document or to establish regulations.
Late in this process, after the various Committees completed their work and following a final public hearing on the Water Plan, the Public Trust language was added. It is our opinion that this language serves the interests of groups who are occasionally unsympathetic to water users, regardless of those users' track record of good stewardship and careful management.
What's at Stake
Simply put, the inclusion of language referencing Public Trust Doctrine in the State Water Plan invites challenges to long standing and legal water rights. Responsible custodians (golf course operators) who have used water judiciously, reduced use voluntarily, and embarked upon any number of costly projects to preserve adequate supplies (drainage, collection, technological efficiencies), could be arbitrarily penalized under a public trust interpretation.
Simply put, it is a good thing to have a statewide water plan, it is a bad thing to build into it a mechanism that allows dubious and capricious applications of the plan.
What to Do
Please join the efforts of the Connecticut State Golf Association, the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents, the Connecticut Farm Bureau, the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association and more than 20 other state and municipal groups by calling and/or emailing your State Representative and your State Senator.
Tell them you want the Public Trust language REMOVED from Connecticut’s Water Plan.
Use this link to reach your representatives in Hartford:
https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/ menu/cgafindleg.asp
For more informationon this issue, please click here to read testimony from Peter Gorman, Vice President of the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents, and here for a further overview of the Public Trust language issue.