The EPA has announced its final insecticide strategy in order to meet its Endangered Species Act obligations.
The announcement comes nine months after the original draft’s release. The EPA says that it includes practical protections for federally endangered and threatened species while providing growers some flexibility.
These include:
- Reducing buffer distance across all application methods
- Developing a process to qualify conservation programs
- Creating a process to qualify external parties that would ultimately assess farms
- Updating key data sources and identification of invertebrate species that may occur on ag fields
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said that the agency has “found common sense ways to keep endangered species safe that won’t place unneeded burden on the growers who rely on these tools for their livelihood, and which are necessary to ensure a safe and plentiful food supply... We are committed to ensuring the agriculture community has the tools they need to protect our country, especially our food supply, from pests and disease.”
