Central Idaho Extension

Comment Period Extended to July 29

EPA Plans Public Webinar on its Proposal to Protect Bees from Acutely Toxic Pesticides    The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public webinar on June 23 at noon Pacific time to provide background information and additional details about its proposal to prohibit the use of all acutely toxic contact pesticides when crops are in bloom and bees are present under contract for pollination services.        The EPA has already held a webinar for states and tribes, which are encouraged to develop managed-pollinator protection plans and best management practices.      And in response to requests from the Western IPM Center and others, EPA has also extended the deadline to submit comments about the plan for 30 days and will now accept comments until July 29. The Proposal     The new EPA proposal creates mandatory pesticide label restrictions to protect managed bees under pollination-service contracts from foliar application of pesticides that are acutely toxic to bees through contact exposure. The restrictions would prohibit applications of pesticides the EPA has identified as acutely toxic to bees - a list of about 75 products - during bloom when bees are present under contract.      The Western IPM Center comment coordinators have begun gathering feedback from growers, beekeepers and others throughout the West to submit a coordinated response. What You Can Do     You can learn more about the EPA proposal in this EPA overview, in this analysis, in the Federal Register notice or in this Western IPM Center letter to beekeepers and growers.        You can also submit a comment directly to the EPA, or, to be included in the Western IPM Center's coordinated response, email Jim Farrar with your location and crop, and he will pass your name to the comment coordinator in your area.   Learn more and register for the webinar