Spring 2026 Newsletter

Highlights

FESTF Releases Lens!  FESTF is thrilled to announce the public release of Lens – an online database that aggregates ESA-related data compiled by FESTF over the past 25 years. Lens is carefully designed to be easy to use and provides ready access to information on pesticide registration decisions with ESA mitigations, ESA education and outreach resources, and eventually, attribute, life history, spatial, and other data on Federally-listed species. Visit Lens (https://lens.festf.org/) today and setup your free account to begin uploading or accessing resources and check out available data.

FESTF Webinar on EPA’s Draft Fungicide Strategy 2-4 PM EDT Thursday, May 21^st!  Webinar is open to all stakeholders but registration is required to attend - Click here to register. Please forward the registration link to others within your company that may benefit from the webinar. If you are not able to attend, we will provide a recording of the webinar. 

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Recent Proposed Actions (Dockets Open for Comment)

·         Draft Fungicide Strategy to Reduce Exposure of Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Species and Designated Critical Habitats from the Use of Conventional Agricultural Fungicides (Docket ID:  EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-2973, Comment period closes 6/29/2026)

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Recent Conventional Pesticide Final Registration Decisions

·       Dicamba – Final Decision to Approve Registration for the Uses of Dicamba on Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton and Dicamba-Tolerant Soybean (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0154-3440)

·       Sedaxane – Interim Registration Review Decision (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0448-0016)

Note that in addition to these conventional pesticide final registration decisions, there were 8 final registration decisions posted to Regulations.gov for non-conventional pesticides (for the period 11/16/2025-5/13/2026).

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Recent Conventional Pesticide Proposed Decisions (Dockets Closed for Comment)

·         Pyrimethanil – Proposed Interim Registration Review Decision (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0380-0027, Comment period closed 4/10/2026)

Note that in addition to these conventional pesticide proposed registration decisions, there were 8 proposed registration decisions posted to Regulations.gov for non-conventional pesticides (for the period 11/16/2025-5/13/2026).

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Recent Updates to U.S. FWS Species Status Assessments

·         Okinawa woodpecker (Dendrocopos noguchii) – version 2.0 published 11/18/2025

·         Temblor legless lizard (Anniella alexanderae) – version 1.1 published 12/1/2025

·         Wood stork (Mycteria americana) – version 1.1 published 12/1/2025

·         Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone) – version 1.0 published 3/24/2026

·         Sonoma alopecurus (Alopecurus aequalis var. sonomensis) – version 1.0 published 4/1/2026

·         Pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) – version 1.1 published 4/1/2026

·         Jemez Mountains salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) – version 1.1 published 4/1/2026

·         Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) – version 1.1 published 4/2/2026

·         Florida salt marsh vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus dukecampbelli) – version 1.1 published 5/6/2026

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Calendar of Events

·     Weed Science Society of America (WSSA): Cameron Douglass participated in the 2026 WSSA Meeting held February 9-12, 2026, in Raleigh, NC. Amongst other activities at the meeting Cameron presented a poster describing the new Lens tool and spoke with attendees about Lens and other FESTF work products.

·       ESA National Forum: Annie Krueger was invited to participate in the National Forum on ESA Education and Outreach, which was held February 10-11, 2026, at the CropLife America (CLA) offices in Arlington, Virginia. Annie participated in discussions on ESA education and outreach coordination, conversations which are continuing in the form of working groups that have been formed under the auspices of the ongoing ESA Collaborators Team (a group that both Annie and Cameron Douglass actively participate in).  

·       Commodity Classic: Ashlea Frank and Leah Duzy participated in the 2026 Commodity Classic meeting, which was held February 25-27, 2026, in San Antonio, TX. Ashlea and Leah hosted a FESTF booth at the meeting where they officially launched Lens and discussed other FESTF work products with attendees.

·       American Association of Pest Control Officials (AAPCO): Cameron Douglass participated in AAPCO’s 79^th Annual Spring Meeting and Conference held March 1-4, 2026, in Alexandria, Virginia. Cameron was specifically invited to the meeting to present on Lens during the inaugural Poster Session held the evening before the General Session.

·       State FIFRA Issues Working Group (SFIREG) Joint Working Committees (JWC): Ashlea Frank participated in the Joint Meeting of SFIREG’s POM (Pesticide Operations and Management), EQI (Environmental Quality Issues) and ESI (Endangered Species Strategy Implementation) Committees held April 7-8, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Ashlea was specifically invited to the meeting to present to the ESI Committee on Lens.

·       CLA/RISE: Ashlea Frank participated in the 2026 CLA/Rise Regulatory Conference held May 13-15, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. Ashlea presented a poster during the meeting on Lens and discussed other FESTF work products with attendees.

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