James T. Snow, national director of the USGA Green Section, received the first Audubon International Ronald G. Dodson Golf & the Environment LeadershipAward at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 9. The award celebrates an individual involved in the game of golf who has exhibited leadership, environmental stewardship and sustainability. Award winners stand as examples of innovation, leadership and boldness in uncovering new and improved ways to protect and sustain the natural resources that the game depends upon.
Snow has long been a leader in bringing environmental awareness to the game of golf. In 1990, his foresight and support of Audubon International led to the establishment of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), an award-winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect the environment and the natural legacy of the game of golf.
In presenting the award to Snow, Ron Dodson, president of the Audubon International board of directors, said, "Since the beginning of the program, Jim totally embraced the spirit of cooperation, partnerships, the connection of the game to its heritage, and its role in taking care of our natural resources." The ACSP encourages people to become involved in programs and projects that directly benefit the environment, and also promotes resource conservation and habitat enhancement. To date, about 2,400 golf courses have participated in the program, and many more people have become involved as a result.
Kevin Fletcher, Ph.D., the executive director of Audubon International, said, “It’s only fitting that Jim receive this inaugural award as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Over the past two decades, program members have conserved millions of gallons of water, created thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, supported numerous threatened and endangered species on their courses, helped to educate tens of thousands of golfers, and in the end, have helped protect the nature of the game. Jim was the catalyst for that and so much more. ”
Snow began his USGA career in 1976, serving as an agronomist in the Green Section’s Northeast Region, visiting golf courses across the region through the Turf Advisory Service program. He was appointed national director of the Green Section in 1990.