Endangered Species Act Compliance
IR-4, with assistance from the Oregon IPM Center and Oregon's Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), is at the forefront of providing up to date information and tools about pesticide use limitations in compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Learn more about the new regulations below.
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last updated June 4, 2024
Endangered Species Act Compliance Quick Links
Continue reading to learn more about new rules regarding Endangered Species Act (ESA) pesticide use limitations, how to stay in compliance when using pesticides, and where to find more information.
Go directly to the EPA's online tool to see if you are within a Pesticide Use Limitation Area (PULA) and download bulletins prior to a pesticide application.
Contact us to request training on the new pesticide application requirements.
Goals of the EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays an important role in implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by overseeing the registration of pesticides. This includes ensuring the use of pesticides does not jeopardize listed species or adversely impact their designated critical habitat. One of the ways EPA is meeting its obligations under the ESA is through the use of online bulletins.What are Bulletins?
Bulletins show if your geographical location requires special precautions to protect threatened or endangered species and their designated critical habitat. Precautions are only imposed when a treatment falls within a Pesticide Use Limitation Area (PULA); when within a PULA, you may have to adjust the timing of your application, method of application, or what pesticide is used. Bulletins serve as an extension of the pesticide label and must be obtained before a pesticide application. They can be found at the EPA's online tool Bulletins Live! Two.
Read the Pesticide Label
To know if your pesticide requires you to obtain a Bulletin, check the Directions for Use section of the label. If the pesticide falls under the new EPA guidelines, you will see instructions directing you to Bulletins Live! Two, where you can download your Bulletin.
How to use Bulletins Live! Two
1. Go to Bulletins Live! Two
2. Fill out the approximate location, address, or city of where you intend to use the pesticide. Zoom in at the exact location on the map.
3. Enter the month and year you want to apply the pesticide.
4. Enter the EPA pesticide registration number, then select the product name in the drop-down box.
Where to find pesticide registration numbers:
Reading pesticide labels (epa.gov)
Pesticide Information Center OnLine (PICOL) Database
The pink area highlighted on the map is the Pesticide Use Limitation Area (PULA). This is the area where pesticide limitations and restrictions outlined in the Bulletin apply.
How to Print or Save Bulletin
1. Select the area where you intend to use pesticides by clicking on that location within the map.
- If the area of application is within the PULA, the "Printable Bulletin" button will turn green
- If the area of application is outside the PULA, continue to zoom in until the "Printable Bulletin" button turns green
2. Click on green "Printable Bulletin" button and the Bulletin will download as a PDF.
3. Print or save the Bulletin.
Where to find PULA limitations
If your treatment falls within a PULA, the pesticide application requirements can be found in two locations:
1. by clicking the "Full Details" box, and
2. in your Bulletin
The limitations may depend upon where you are using the product, the method of application, and the form of the pesticide.
This information is an extension of the label. You are required to follow these guidelines by law.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I check Bulletins Live! Two and download a Bulletin?
You can obtain a Bulletin as early as 6 months before the month you intend to make the pesticide application. You can also obtain a Bulletin immediately before your pesticide application month. For example, you can obtain a bulletin any time between January 1st and June 30th if you plan to apply the pesticide on July 1st. Remember that the Bulletin must be dated for the month you are making the pesticide application.
How often do I need to check Bulletins Live! Two and download a Bulletin?
Each Bulletin is only valid for the month you listed in the your query. Download a new Bulletin for each month you intend to spray a product at a given location. For example, if you intend to spray a product in both July and August, you will need two bulletins, one covering July and one covering August.
Do I need different Bulletins for different products?
Currently, yes. In addition to having a Bulletin for each month of application, you need to have a Bulletin for each product you want to apply. Different restrictions may apply to different products applied within the same month and area. Follow the directions above by specifying the EPA pesticide registration number in your searches.
I am applying a product where the label instructs me to download a Bulletin, but I know I am not within a PULA. Do I have to download a Bulletin anyways?
Yes, if the label instructs you check Bulletins Live! Two, you must check and download a Bulletin for each product and month ...even if your field isn't located with an PULA.
What types of products are included in the PULA restrictions?
Currently, labeling requirements directing you to Bulletins Live! Two and PULA limitations have only been implemented on a select number of high-impact pesticides which contain any of the following active ingredients:
| 1,3-D (Telone) | Malathion |
| Bromoxynil | Methomyl |
| Carbaryl | Metolachlor |
| Chlorpyrifos | Prometryn |
| Cyantraniliprole | Pyraclonil |
| Diazinon | Sulfoxaflor |
| Inpyrfluxam |
Download a spreadsheet containing which Oregon and Washington-registered products contain the listed active ingredients here.
New PULAs and new products on which this requirement will be enforced are likely to arise in the future. Check the Directions for Use section of the label to ensure you are in compliance with the current application requirements.
I checked my label and there was no instructions directing me to Bulletins Live! Two. What do I do now?
Nothing! You are not required to check Bulletins Live! Two for this product at this time. Continue following the label directives, just bear in mind new products will be included in the pesticide use limitations in the future so be sure to check next time you purchase the product for new label requirements.
When does the Bulletin process become effective?
Bulletins are in effect now. Registration Services has approved revised pesticide labels with Bulletins language on them and they are beginning to enter the channels of trade. If your label directs you to obtain a Bulletin, you must go to Bulletins Live! Two and get the Bulletin.
What is the Oregon IPM Center and partners doing to understand the current restrictions?
Dr. Dani Lightle, IPM Network Coordinator for the Western IPM Center, and collaborating partners have produced a number workshops throughout the PNW troubleshooting Bulletins Live! Two and PULA restrictions. Learn more about what they found within the Western IPM Center 'Stories' writeup here.
Where can I get more training?
Staff at IR-4, Oregon's Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), and the Oregon IPM Center are developing training workshops and tools to help you navigate Bulletins Live! Two, manage your Bulletins, and interpret PULA regulations. Contact us to request a training, or find a training near you.