In assessing the potential risk of pesticides to endangered species, the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs (EPA-OPP) has proposed reclassifying the 134 classes in the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) into 11 crop and 7 non-crop groups. These proposed groups are intended to delineate the spatial extent of labeled pesticide uses, a vital first step in establishing the Action Area for assessment of a given pesticide. Some of the proposed CDL groups include only one crop, such as “rice” but other groups such as “vegetables and ground fruit” include over 40 different crop classes. It is possible that a given pesticide is labeled for use on only one of the crops in a given group and the labeled crop is geographically limited; including the spatial extent of other crops in the corresponding crop group will expand the spatial extent to areas outside where the labeled crop is grown and thus where the pesticide will be used. Additionally, the maximum rates and treatment frequencies used on any one crop within the group have the potential to drive the “worst case” to all crops in that group, even though some crops may have a lower maximum use rate and reduced application frequency. This presentation will explore the FIFRA Endangered Species Task Force’s evaluation of the potential impact that the proposed groupings can have on the spatial delineation of the extent of agricultural uses of a pesticide. This analysis will interpret the effect of various grouping strategies on the extent of the Action Area and lead to their impact on the estimation of potential risk. Additionally, the value of state data, where available, will be explored with respect to its impact on refining or clarifying the extent of the Action Area.  An example examining the spatial extent of agricultural uses for a specific pesticide is discussed in an accompanying presentation for organophosphates.<br/>

Evaluating the potential impact of grouping CDL crop classes on the spatial extent of pesticide use sites<br />

250th National Meeting (2015)

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