WHAT: OPPOSE SB 747 – FERTILIZER RESTRICTIONS

WHEN: Tomorrow, February 4 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Wildfire – Hearing Room D

ACTION: Submit written testimony, or testify in person or online.

HOW: Register to testify here, click on “Register to Testify” for in-person, or “Submit Testimony” to upload written testimony.

SB 747 would require every landowner in the state with more than 200 acres of irrigated agricultural land to register and annually report fertilizer use, with a goal of having the Oregon Department of Agriculture “identify persons who are overapplying fertilizer” and impose civil penalties for violations.

This bill has been scheduled for a hearing Tuesday, February 4 at 1 p.m. in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. Agricultural groups have NOT been engaged on this bill concept and we had no notice of this bill’s hearing ahead of it getting scheduled for a hearing next week.

Please engage in-person if possible, we need producers to show up and testify in strong opposition to this bill!

Use the talking points below to craft a personalized email to Chair Golden and the Committee in OPPOSITION to SB 747.

To register to testify in opposition to SB 747 here; click on “Register to Testify” next to the bill number for in-person or virtual testimony.

Talking Points

Fertilizer is a very expensive input, with costs skyrocketing in recent years. Producers are already disincentivized from applying more than is needed.
Fertilizer rates vary widely based on crop and soil type, weather, and a list of other factors. Rates alone cannot determine overapplication, and there is no standardized guidance on rates based on the variety of factors that impact nutrient needs and uptake. Agronomic rates vary even between different varieties of the same crop.
The concept as drafted reflects a lack of understanding of both crop nutrition science and groundwater impacts.
200 acres is an arbitrary number with no connection to data or evidence.
What is being proposed here is a multi-million dollar program that would not yield the information suggested in the bill language.
This issue deserves a robust discussion with producers and experts.

RESOURCES

If you are looking for how to testify, get engaged in the legislative process, or details about the legislative session, please check out the Oregon Seed Council’s Guide to the Legislative Session here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Oregon Seed Council Executive Director, Megan Chuinard.

Megan Chuinard
Executive Director
Oregon Seed Council
503.585.1157
Megan@MAC-Consulting-LLC.com

ACTION ALERT: SIGN INDUSTRY COMMENT LETTER ON EPA INSECTICIDE STRATEGY BY SEPT. 21, 2024

WHAT: The EPA released a draft Insecticide Strategy (IS) in late July.

Public comments are being accepted through September 23.

EPA’s intent is to use the draft IS to put in place a framework of runoff/erosion, spray drift, and in some cases on-field mitigations to reduce risks to endangered species and their critical habitats, aiming to bring its pesticide program into compliance with the Endangered Species Act, however, the complexity, cost, and potential to significantly reduce pest management effectiveness are highly concerning for the agricultural community.

ACTION REQUESTED: Join the coalition of farmers, producers, applicators, and others to highlight shared concerns with the draft IS.

View the letter here.

TO SIGN ON, COMPLETE THIS FORM.

DEADLINE: The deadline to sign on to this letter is 9:00 a.m. Saturday, September 21.

KEY CONCERNS:

COMPLEXITY- Producers/applicators will need to determine their compliance obligations for every field under production, which include factors such as whether a field exists in one or more of ten pesticide user PULAs; runoff potential in counties in which you farm; the slope, soil type, or distance to unmanaged areas; crop type produced; what insecticides are being used and what pests are being treated; application type (foliar, soil, seed treatment, etc.); weather conditions, including humidity, wind speed, and direction; existing runoff/erosion or spray drift mitigations on a field; among other conditions.
COST – It would require insecticide users to attain “points” by implementing certain runoff/erosion reduction practices (rate reductions, reduced tillage, cover crops, vegetative filter strips, contour farming, riparian areas, mulching, water retention systems, etc.) to use most insecticides. Many insecticides may require 6 or 9 points to use, depending on crop produced and geography. These practices could cost growers or landowners hundreds to thousands of dollars per field annually to install and maintain.
REDUCED PEST MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS – The draft IS would require downwind spray drift buffers as great as 320 feet for aerial application or 230 feet for ground application (these distances could be reduced by using coarser spray droplets, partially treating a field, installing windbreaks, or other mitigations.) These significant buffers could leave large crop areas untreated. Untreated crops and edge of field practices may create pest refuges for reinfesting and damaging treated fields.

OREGON SEED COUNCIL ENGAGEMENT: The Oregon Seed Council joined a nationwide coalition and a statewide coalition requesting an extension for comments to allow time for organizations to conduct outreach to members, and provide thoughtful and quality feedback to the 700 page proposal. This request was denied by EPA.

BACKGROUND ON EPA STRATEGIES

September 14, 2023, the EPA released an announcement that it had “Resolved Longstanding Litigation to Protect Endangered Species, Ensure Pesticides That Feed and Fuel America Remain Available.” The litigation, often referred to as the “mega litigation case,” or “mega suit” covered over 1,000 pesticide products containing one or more of 35 “active ingredients.” Originally filed in 2011 by the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network Federal Court in California against EPA, the complaint alleges that the EPA was violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when it registered or reevaluated the registration of 382 pesticide active ingredients.

Related to the litigation, in 2022, EPA issued its ESA Workplan, Balancing Wildlife Protection and Responsible Pesticide Use: How EPA’s Pesticide Program Will Meet its Endangered Species Act Obligations. The workplan describes how EPA plans to address the challenge of protecting ESA-listed species from pesticides.

An ESA workplan update was released in November of 2022.More information on EPA ESA actions are available here.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

We appreciate your help!

Megan Chuinard
Executive Director
Oregon Seed Council
503.585.1157
Megan@MAC-Consulting-LLC.com

Tag Archive for: Action Alert

ACTION ALERT: Testify Against Fertilizer Restrictions