recognized by the US Army
Snake River Sporting Club is an 18-hole golf course on 360 acres near Jackson Hole, WY. We devised a water management plan that saved water. We applied new techniques, new approaches to water use and conservation, land management, and landscape design. Our ecological land planning preserved 126 ac of habitat (about 35%) along with restoration of wetlands degraded that were degraded by cattle. Design and construction practices protected native Bald Eagle habitat, and during the construction period 14 eaglets were successfully fledged. The US Army Corps of Engineers specially acknowledged this successful preservation.
The Snake River is a designated ‘Scenic and Natural River’ and is a Gold Medal Trout Stream. A goal of the project was to protect the River. Our ecological land design maintained a minimum of 150-feet buffers of native vegetation along the River. We designed extensive areas of native plants in out-of-play areas and removal of invasive exotic weed species as well as prepared and implemented a plan to keep weeds from the property. Bridges were built to be minimally intrusive to wetlands and allow wildlife movement.
Ecological risk assessments were conducted to evaluate the pesticides proposed for use on the property. We selected materials that were safe for wildlife, safe for aquatic environments, and were as short lived as possible. We prepared and implemented a detailed management plan for the golf course that incorporated environmental protection for every aspect of golf course management. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies were incorporated into every aspect of golf maintenance of the golf course. These strategies: 1) reduced the need for large scale applications of fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, 2) ensured that materials used to maintain the landscape were safe for the environment, and 3) that materials were applied properly by trained and licensed contractors.