EPA Revises Draft Herbicide Strategy, Aiming for Flexibility and Simplification

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined changes to its draft herbicide strategy following extensive feedback from agricultural stakeholders. Key updates include simplifying mitigation requirements, improving species protection maps, and potentially considering voluntary conservation efforts by farmers when determining mitigation levels.

The strategy, a component of the EPA’s ESA Workplan, aims to balance protections for over 900 endangered species and their habitats with the vital need for agricultural herbicides. Initial proposals in 2023 received widespread criticism from over 200 agriculture groups, including the Illinois Farm Bureau, who warned of severe consequences for farmers, food suppliers, and rural communities.

In response, the EPA is implementing revisions focused on three main areas:

• Clarity: The previous strategy’s complexity will be reduced using a simpler four-tier system (‘none’, ‘low’, ‘medium’, ‘high’) to categorize mitigation levels for each herbicide. The EPA will provide user-friendly guides to explain this approach.
• Flexibility: More mitigation options will be available, especially for specialty crops, potentially including erosion control, reservoir tillage, and soil carbon amendments. The EPA is collaborating with the USDA to identify further runoff reduction practices for potential inclusion.
• Voluntary Conservation Recognition: Reduced mitigation might be possible for farmers already employing runoff-reduction practices or those who participate in conservation programs. These factors could be considered alongside geographical assessments.

The EPA is also refining maps used to determine mitigation zones, aiming to reduce overly broad coverage areas for many species.

Crucially, the strategy itself doesn’t directly restrict pesticide use. It informs mitigation measures the EPA will consider when it approves new herbicides or renews existing registrations. Public feedback will continue to be a crucial part of this process.