The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft Fungicide Strategy and invited public comment on measures intended to reduce harm to federally listed wildlife and plants. The agency says the draft recommends practical, science-based protections for more than 1,000 species while preserving flexibility for states, growers and applicators. EPA frames the effort as part of its statutory duties under the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and says approved pesticides must continue to meet rigorous safety standards.
EPA’s draft uses a three-step framework to assess fungicide risks: (1) identify potential population-level impacts to listed species, (2) identify mitigation measures, and (3) determine where those mitigations should apply. The agency emphasizes the strategy itself does not impose new legal requirements but will inform registration and registration-review decisions and proposal of mitigation measures in future regulatory actions. EPA also says it will take public input on any specific mitigation proposals before final decisions are made.
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