Recent regulatory changes to pesticide registration decisions under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have added new requirements to protect threatened and endangered species (listed species). These additions can include new spray drift buffer requirements or landscape-level changes for reducing the likelihood of pesticide runoff. Changes may be implemented directly on the general label or required in specific geographic areas where individual listed species are present. In 2023, the first geographically-specific pesticide mitigations were issued to protect salmon, spanning most watersheds across Washington state. While these first mitigations only apply to a few active ingredients, EPA will continue to evaluate additional active ingredients in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that will likely lead to more active ingredient mitigations within these areas. Further, new species-specific measures may be added in new geographic areas in Washington through pesticide consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or through implementation of EPA’s ESA Strategies. This process can increase the number of growers impacted across the state as well as expand the list of active ingredients with requirements to implement landscape-level mitigation measures.
As the complexity of pesticide mitigations for listed species increases for Washington applicators, specialty crop producers may be required to implement landscape level that may be incompatible with production system requirements or costly to implement and maintain. Through public comment periods on EPA’s ESA Strategy documents and individual active ingredients, specialty crop producers have continued to express concerns about implementing landscape level changes that are largely based around more common row crop systems.
The WSDA Specialty Crop Block Program grant will support CSI, in collaboration with WSDA Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences staff, to connect specialty crop producers with resources for implementing ESA pesticide mitigations. This project will identify unique barriers and build solutions tailored to specialty crop producers’ needs for implementing EPA’s newly required pesticide mitigation measures. CSI and WSDA NRAS will identify specific barriers for implementation in four Washington specialty crop production systems (vegetable seed, tree fruit, potato and berries) through hands-on workshops. CSI and WSDA NRAS staff will work with farmers, regulators, conservation experts, and additional support partners through interactive working sessions to identify necessary solutions and ultimately develop supporting resources. This grant is supported by Northwest Horticulture Council, Western Washington Agriculture Association, and Washington State University Extension.