Support for Vt Act H.626 neonicotinoid pesticide ban

  Dear Vermont Legislature Representatives and Senators, 

 

I am writing you in support of Vermont Act H.626, an act relating to the sale, use, or application of neonicotinoid pesticides.

According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife department, between 60 to 80 percent of wild plants in our state are dependent on animals, mostly bees, for the 'ecosystem service' of pollination. Whole communities of flowering trees, shrubs, and herbs benefit from their activities—including blueberries, blackberries, and apples.

This topic is not just about our beloved dairy and honey industries, as important as those two industries, and livelihood are. They are the tip of the iceberg of what we will lose if we go past the tipping point in how many pollinators we lose either as an entire species or in volume. Many of our (275+) wild bee species appear to be declining due to a number of impacts including habitat loss, and pesticide/herbicide use.  

Our fascinating and diverse species of wild bees are critical to all of us.

Scientists appear to me to be indicating that neonicotinoids are harmful to more than the target insects, radiate out beyond the application zone, and stay in the pollen and nectar and tissue of plants. They are found in water and soil samples long after application. They are toxic to pollinators and other beneficial insects as well as aquatic invertebrates. They can remain in the environment for years after application. Being water-soluble they can leach into our *waterbodies.

Xerces reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with support from CDPR, recently released a draft ecological risk assessment for imidacloprid, which identified risks to aquatic ecosystems. Based on these findings, the EPA has now revised its aquatic life benchmarks downward.  Furthermore, EPA recently found that the other nitroguanidine neonicotinoids may pose similar risks to aquatic invertebrates as imidacloprid.

At a bare minimum, let's ensure there is strict guidance on (a) which corn and soybean pests neonicotinoid seed treatments may be used for, (b) when scouting should occur to inform future decisions on the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments, and (c) how to scout for these early season pests. In other words, if we cannot find the will to stop using neonicotinoids, let's at least be sure we minimize their use as the last resort only (risky) tool. 

In connection with restricting neonicotinoids, the VT Legislature can fund more research and development of sustainable farming methods for productivity and support abundant biodiversity.  

Let’s find a safer path for our Vermont farmers to succeed in the long term without squandering whatever healthy soil, bacteria, and insects that we have left. I believe that the diversity and health of beneficial insects and therefore our lives depend on our stewardship of the land and all life on it.