Category: Public Comment Opportunity | Accent on Natural Landscaping

EPA’s Glyphosate Risk Assessments

May 10, 2019

The US EPA has announced a 60-day public comment period for their current draft glyphosate human health and ecological risk assessments. In essence, the EPA continues to find that glyphosate is not a carcinogen and that it presents no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current labeling. See Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments for Glyphosate.

Based on the 2017 assessment, in which EPA identified only ecological risks, it is now proposing management measures to help farmers more effectively and efficiently use pesticide sprays on targeted pests to protect pollinators and reduce the further development of glyphosate resistant weeds.

Glyphosate herbicides are widely used in US agriculture, as well as non-agricultural uses such as residential landscaping, rights-of-ways, golf courses and turf in general.

If you have some thoughts regarding this latest assessment, go to regulations.gov and send your comments regarding glyphosate’s registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0361. Comments are due July 5, 2019. Comments and the EPA’s responses to the draft ecological and human health risk assessments and the benefits assessment will also be available in the docket.

Federal Register listing.

See also the 2017 National Institute of Health Agricultural Health Survey. The EPA says its scientific findings are consistent with the conclusions of this report and also with science reviews by a number of other countries.

Revised Definition of “Waters of the United States”

April 12, 2019

Sunrise on the Fox River across from Lutz Park. Photo by Carol McIntyre

In 2015 the Obama administration published a new definition of “Waters of the United States (WOTUS).” In February 2019, the Trump administration proposes changes to that definition. See Federal Register Vol 84, No 31. The public has until April 15, 2019 to comment on the changes to the proposed definition of WOTUS.

Trump’s proposed rule change first repeals the Obama changes and then redefines the WOTUS, by omitting the nexus theory*, redefining navigable waters and adding “a typical year” and “upland” definitions. See comparison.

In my mind all water is interconnected. So why define it at all. Every impact is significant whether the waters are navigable or not. I believe the emphasis instead should be on how to determine jurisdictional authority and who will keep our water the safest.

*Nexus theory “includes two parts. First, there must be a connection to a downstream waters of the US. Second, the area in question must have an effect on the chemical, physical, or biological integrity of traditional navigable water.” (SwampSchool)

SUBMIT COMMENTS

To submit comments regarding these proposed changes, use one or all of the methods below. Be sure to identify Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2018–0149 as the subject:

•Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/ (preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

•Email: OW-Docket@epa.gov. Include Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW– 2018–0149 in the subject line of the message. Paste Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW– 2018–0149 into the search box.

•Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Office of Water Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. Include Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW– 2018–0149 in the subject line of the letter.

And don’t forget to let your congressmen know how you feel. Go to congress and don’t forget to identify Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2018–0149 as the subject .

Botany Bill HR1572

March 8, 2019

Royal Catchfly (*Silene regia*) outstanding amongst the Bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*) and Purple Coneflower (*Echinacea purpurea*). Photo by Joan Rudolph

On March 6, 2019 Representative Quigley (D-IL) and co-sponsor Representative Rooney (R-FL) reintroduced the “Botany Bill”* in the House of Representatives. The bill is similar to the version from the 115^th Congress. It supports plant research, the placement of botanists in the land management agencies, the plant conservation programs, the plant conservation alliance and NFWF grants for plant-related projects.

The creation of a native plant “preference policy” for federal land restoration has been slightly modified — under the new bill, the Departments of Interior and Agriculture will create a policy and disseminate it to other agencies. This modification dramatically cuts the number of committees required to review the bill and improves chances for action.

Botany Bill Website

Visit the Botany Bill website for more information and helpful resources to help you get to know the bill and navigate the legislative process. Watch the Botany Bill website for updates on the bill’s progress or sign up for the Botany Bill Mailing List.

Endorsement

To successfully work its way through Congress, this bill will need as many organizations as possible to endorse the bill. If any botany-related organizations to which you belong have not already endorsed this bill, please bring this to their attention and ask them to let Plant Conservation Alliance – Non-federal Cooperators Committee Chicago Botanic Garden & Garden Club of America know if your name can be added as an endorsing organization (PCA) know they’d like to support HR1572.

On the other hand, if your organization endorsed the previous Botany Bill (HR1054; S3240), PCA will assume it wishes to endorse the current bill. If it does not wish to endorse the current bill, however, it must contact PCA to let them know it is NOT interested in endorsing the current version.

Rattlesnake Master (*Eryngium yuccifolium*) standing above the Black-eyed Susan (*Rudbeckia hirta*). Left, Swamp Aster (*Symphyotrichum puniceum*) towers overall as it grows to maturity. Photo by Joan Rudloph

What can you do to help?

We as individuals need to push for this legislation. Please take a minute to forward this email to like-minded friends, colleagues and professional acquaintances.

Besides endorsing this bill yourself, you can also help by reaching out to your representatives and letting them know you support the bill and ask them to co-sponsor/sign-on to the bill. E-mail or call your representative or make an in-person visit to their local or DC office. To write to your legislators to express your opinion about this bill, go to Congress.gov.

*Full name: The Botanical Sciences and Native Plant Materials Research, Restoration, and Promotion Act

Summary of HR1572

Track the bill’s progress

The above notice is printed in part with permission of PCA – A collaborative effort of
Plant Conservation Alliance – Non-federal Cooperators Committee
Chicago Botanic Garden & Garden Club of America

Help Update WI Invasive Species Rules

January 2, 2019

Baby’s breath (*Gypsophila paniculata*) is not yet regulated in Wisconsin, but as you can see from this photo it does have a tendency to take over in a wild setting. Photo by Emmet Judziewicz co-author of Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: A Comprehensive Field Guide.

The Wisconsin Legislature created the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council to assist the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in establishing a statewide program to control invasive species. Wisconsin’s invasive species rule, NR Chapter 40, was enacted in 2009 and last revised in 2015.

Efforts are currently underway to compile a list of new potentially invasive species, establish species assessment groups (SAGs) to review these species for potential regulation, and make recommendations for potential changes to the rule to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Nominate a Species!

The Council is currently taking recommendations for species to be considered for potential regulation under Wisconsin’s invasive species rule, NR Chapter 40. You can nominate a species you’d like considered for regulation by completed this survey. (Note: many invasive species are already regulated under NR 40, so check the current list of regulated species to see if your suggestion might already be listed.) Plants only.

In addition to new species to consider, you can also nominate a species for re-assessment (i.e., moving from prohibited to restricted; or restricted to non regulated), or make any other suggested changes to the rule. Survey

The deadline for submitting species nominations or suggesting other changes to the rule is midnight on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Your feedback will help the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council determine new efforts needed to revise Wisconsin’s invasive species rule, NR Chapter 40.

Take Survey

Statewide Strategic Plan for Invasive Species 2013-2016

Thank you Mariquita Sheehan for bringing this survey to my attention.