GCSAA tells members to oppose bill on pesticide regulation

In a recent letter to members, the government affairs department of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America urged its members to tell Congress to oppose S. 4406/H.R. 7940.

GCSAA members and friends,

A bill has been introduced in Congress that would drastically change the way golf courses are managed by banning, eliminating or restricting many pesticide products superintendents rely on to maintain healthy turfgrass, trees and ornamental plants.

The safe and responsible use of pesticides and the continued availability of effective products is a top priority for GCSAA and its members. For decades, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has provided for the federal regulation of pesticide labeling, distribution, sale and use with stringent safety standards and oversight at its core. FIFRA’s foundational, science-based safety standards have successfully provided the regulatory certainty golf course superintendents have long relied upon to manage invasive plants and pests on their golf courses.

But now, FIFRA is under attack. S. 4406, introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and H.R. 7940, introduced Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), would undermine the science-based standards contained within our nation’s pesticide laws in many ways. These bills would:

• Immediately ban several classes of pesticides including organophosphates and neonicotinoids
• Ban any product currently banned or otherwise prohibited by Canada, the European Union, or any one country in the European Union
• Eliminate pesticide preemption laws in every state by allowing local governments to restrict pesticide products, thereby creating a patchwork of differing regulations from town to town

This legislation is not likely to pass this Congress, but these bills clearly represent a blueprint of how antipesticide groups want to amend pesticide laws in 2021 to significantly restrict your access to these products. Sending a letter now will not only show your opposition to the bill, it will also help prevent the bill from gaining traction in the next Congress.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to send a message to your House and Senate members in support of FIFRA and in opposition to S. 4406/H.R. 7940.

Thank you for your support.