Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources

Cotton Planting Forecast

 

DPR Visits Valley to Hear from Agriculture

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) visited Clovis this week to meet with agricultural organizations and representatives to provide an update on CDPR activities and hear concerns from agriculture.  Representing CDPR was Director Julie Henderson, Deputy Director Karen Morrison, Deputy Director for Enforcement Ken Everett, and Deputy Director for Environmental Justice and Equity Celia Pazos.  CDPR opened the meeting by providing a quick look at what they are currently working on including:

  • Wrapping up their 5-year Strategic Plan to be released soon
  • Working to streamline their pesticide registration process to shorten the time to register new pesticides
  • Increasing staff
  • Strengthening enforcement
  • Finalizing their Advance Notification regulation in November for a tentative release in January.
  • Working on the next set of 1,3-D restrictions to address concerns with innocent bystanders, which should be filed in November
  • Working on next set of rodenticide restrictions with no timeline proposed

 

Association President/CEO Roger Isom was among the agricultural representatives in attendance and expressed concerns over invasive species, lack of alternatives if chemicals are phased out under the CDPR Sustainable Pest Management Program (SPM), concern that the legislature is regulating pesticides without science, and the need to coordinate with the California Department of Food and Agriculture on all these items.  Isom also expressed concerns with CDPR not addressing the rhetoric that is spewed at some of CDPR’s hearings and their lack of explanation of their intensive and robust registration process and their own regulations, which make them the toughest pesticide agency in the country.  Isom did express appreciation for the CDPR leadership to come to Clovis and sit down with agriculture moving forward.  Other groups in attendance included the American Pistachio Growers, California Table Grape Commission, California Citrus Mutual, Nisei Farmers League, and the Fresno County Farm Bureau.  In addition, the Monterey County Ag Commissioner Juan Hidalgo was present along with a representative from the Fresno County Ag Commissioner’s office.