Maryland's golf course industry planned to head back to the state today with a new request to ease water restrictions, as landscapers, sod farmers and other businesses also clamored for relief.
The new request -- from a golf course managers' group -- asks that watering of fairways be cut by 30 percent, rather than 80 percent the state has required since Aug. 4.
Maryland officials rejected an earlier request from a golf course owners' group for a 10 percent reduction.
Sod farmers say they also want state restrictions lifted to allow their customers to water newly replanted grass. Landscapers, nursery owners and similar businesses say they want to see restrictions eased, too.
"I know the government can't make it rain, but the government can stand up and pay attention to our concerns," said Harry T. Redmon, owner of Child's Landscaping in Anne Arundel County.
Christopher R. Ayers, a Rockville golf course manager and treasurer of the Golf Course Superintendents Association's mid-Atlantic chapter, said the request on behalf of golf courses would be filed today.
"We're going to be asking for 30 percent, but it's still negotiable," Ayers said. "We're not going to draw a line in the sand. We're trying to find out if there's some common ground."
Ayers said the 30 percent figure is based on what experts at University of Maryland, College Park say is a reasonable cutback that would keep fairway grass alive.
Ayers said golf course managers recognize the need to conserve water. "We're not asking for rescinding the restrictions," he said.
J. L. Hearn, director of water management at the Maryland Department of the Environment, said he could not speculate on how state officials might rule on the request. Hearn said the golf group would have to present "clear and convincing evidence of economic hardship" and demonstrate a good-faith effort to take other steps to reduce their water use.
Mike Morrill, a spokesman for Gov. Parris N. Glendening, said yesterday he doubts that the latest waiver request would be approved. "If they're talking about 30 percent on fairways, it's not likely to happen," Morrill said.
Nurseries, garden centers and landscapers say they also are being hurt economically and, in some cases, are having to lay off employees.
"This industry is being affected big time," said Redmon, the Anne Arundel County landscaper, who also owns a retail garden center. "My sales, along with some of my competition's sales, are down 40 percent."
