>
> >Do you think that’s a response based on things like the Sufflor suit Or
> other reasons??


It was in place long before the sulfoxaflur ruling.  At least some at EPA
were frustrated at being caught in the middle.  EPA is commendably trying
to shift us away from the clearly dangerous cholinesterase-inhibiting
insecticides (OPs and carbamates), with neonics for the time being largely
taking their places.  But EPA is stuck between the fervently demanding
advocacy groups, the registrants, the ag industry, and politicians telling
EPA to "do something."  So they did something.

The response from at least some beekeeping organizations (such as Calif)
may have come as a surprise to some, as suggested by Jon Entine's piece
(which he apparently wrote based upon his reading of the public comments,
from which he quoted me and CSBA;  as Jim points out, Entine, although
typically factually correct, tends to spin things fairly hard in favor the
ag and the chemical industry).

I was actually surprised the CSBA took such a strong public stand, which
apparently surprised some leaders of the bee industry.

I'm in agreement with Jim that the EPA could make huge strides with minimal
effort by simply forcing all the State Lead Agencies to actually enforce
existing pesticide laws and label language.  Or even better yet, to force
*all* states to follow California's model of documenting every pesticide
application with a Pesticide Use Report (which I need to fill out for every
treatment with Apiguard, MAQS, or Hopguard).

We still have pesticide issues in California, but our county ag
commissioners have gotten the mandate from Cal Dept of Pesticide Regulation
actively investigate every adverse effects report.  Over the past year
there have been a number of good stakeholder meetings, with the Pest
Control Advisors sometimes being beekeepers themselves.  The Almond Board
has also done a good job making almonds safer for beekeepers.

Bottom line, meaningful progress, with which both growers, pollinators, and
beekeepers can all survive, is possible.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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