With fewer than two months under his belt, President Barack Obama has acted swiftly on energy and environmental issues, and many in the green industry are waiting to hear what investment he plans to make in water protection and efficiency issues.

According to a paper written in December 2008 by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, “Water efficiency programs yield jobs, water savings and other economic benefits and will be a cost-effective investment to consider for the [president's] stimulus package.”

“With the economy front and center, the rhetoric throughout Washington hasn’t allowed other issues to take a center stage,” says John Farner, federal affairs director, Irrigation Association (IA). “However, President Obama has four years until he is up for re-election, and he has an aggressive domestic agenda ahead of him.” Going forward “significant focus” will be placed on water efficiency and climate change.

Keith Kuehn, corporate marketing for Rain Bird, agrees. “As we look at the irrigation industry, including residential, commercial and agriculture use, we think water policy issues will continue to gain even more importance. These issues not only affect the viability for agriculture and quality of life, but also the development opportunities that communities face.”

Making their voices heard
The IA formed a political action committee late last year to increase the irrigation industry’s voice in determining public policy. During each election season, congressional candidates discuss issues directly affecting the livelihood of irrigation professionals, Farner explains. The IA’s Board of Directors recognized the importance of banding the irrigation industry together to speak with a unified political voice, striving to educate candidates on sound water policy, focusing on the benefits of turf and landscapes, and irrigation efficiency. IrrigationPAC helps the IA achieve this goal.

Farner says getting IA members involved in the PAC is the top priority for 2009, with an overall objective to raise visibility of the IA among policymakers and strive to elect members to Congress who fundamentally understand water policy issues.

Garnering support
With the PAC’s efforts still in their infancy, IA members will receive communication soon about how they can join IrrigationPAC and support its efforts. “Grassroots efforts are a strong focus of the IA’s government affairs efforts, and we’re grateful for the support and dedication we’ve received thus far,” Farner says.

Landscapers understand the importance of working with their government officials to determine local, state and federal regulations impacting the green industry. For example, the partnership the IA has with the Environmental Protection Agency, through the WaterSense Program, recognizes the importance of efficiency in irrigation and “affords our industry the opportunity to place a value on the importance of managed landscapes with our homes and in our communities,” Farner says.