06/04/2025
via Robyn O'Brien: "In a stunning move, USDA will no longer require applicators to report their use of restricted use pesticides.
No public comment period, no notice.
As public health and climate advocates, we can no longer operate business-as-usual.
Solutions focused on mitigation will continue to poison our bodies, our waterways, our soil, our planet.
How is this ?" - reports Max Sano of Beyond Pesticides
There are good people who wanted to believe in the promise of MAHA, but the actions of this administration speak so much louder than any press release, report or words.
If you find yourself disillusioned, either by the actions or the legislation being passed, despite the promises, like the proposed FY2026 budget that would slash USDA funding by nearly $7 billion — a devastating blow to the farmers, families, and ecosystems that rely on its support.
Please reach out.
Cuts include:
• Over half of SNAP funding that includes child nutrition programs
• $300M from WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Supplemental Nutrition Program
• Elimination of conservation technical assistance
• Reduction of budget for farm loans, conservation, and disaster assistance by $372M
• Deep reductions to the Farm Service Agency & Natural Resources Conservation Service (reducing NRCS funding from $916M to $112M)
• Forest Service funding cut by 75%- from $16.8B to $4B
• End of rural housing loans, water protection programs, and more
"A budget undermines the very values of stewardship, equity, and resilience that must guide the future of our food system. Congress must reject this gutting of programs that sustain food security, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods.that are occurring, please reach out" as my friend Elizabeth Candelario of Mad Agriculture shares...
There are so many people who are beginning to see this for what it is.
And so many of us who have been at this for such a long time, knowing that this is exactly what would happen.
The legislation states: "It is the policy of USDA to err on the side of deregulation. The regulations in Recordkeeping on Restricted Use Pesticides by Certified Applicators; Surveys and Reports are not a priority."
While it may be entertaining to watch what is starting to feel like Celebrity Apprentice // White House, you have to follow the money.
Link here https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/12/2025-08220/rescission-of-recordkeeping-on-restricted-use-pesticides-by-certified-applications
This action rescinds regulations pertaining to Recordkeeping on Restricted Use Pesticides by Certified Applicators; Surveys and Reports.