The Crush - January 2020 - 5

[ STATE FOCUS ]

Unknown Future of Pest Management Tools in CA
GROWERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO BE PROACTIVE ON THIS ISSUE
By Michael Miiller
There is a lot happening in California relative to how, where,
when and which pest management tools will be allowed for use
in the future.
Several bills are pending in the California Legislature to limit
or prohibit the use of specific products. New legislation may be
introduced in the next several weeks. Additionally, this month
a working group of two state agencies is hosting three public
meetings to find an alternative to chlorpyrifos. An initiative is
also in circulation and could be on the ballot in November to
prohibit the use of nonorganic pesticides by 2050.
LEGISLATION
There are two bills in the Legislature that would prohibit the
use of chlorpyrifos. SB 86 (Durazo, D-Los Angeles) and SB 458
(Durazo) are stalled at the moment and would seem unnecessary
as the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has already
prohibited the use of chlorpyrifos in California.
AB 1788 (Bloom, D-Los Angeles) would limit the use of
rodenticides and AB 468 (Muratsuchi, D-Los Angeles) would
limit the use of glyphosate. Neither bill would apply to ag land.
However, AB 916 (Muratsuchi) would prohibit a local public
agency from using glyphosate. This would include maintenance
of levies and work conducted by irrigation districts. All three of
these bills are expected to be heard in the months ahead.
It is highly likely that the pest management discussion in
the Legislature is not over. Nonprofit groups are pushing for
restrictions or a ban on 1,3-D (Telone soil fumigant) and other
products. Consequently, there may be additional bills introduced
in the next three months that deal with pest management.
CHLORPYRIFOS WORKING GROUP
When the California Environmental Protection Agency
announced chlorpyrifos would be banned, it also announced
that there would be a substantial effort undertaken to identify an
alternative. The Newsom administration provided $5.7 million in
funding for this effort.
To support the transition to chlorpyrifos alternatives, DPR
and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are
partnering to convene a working group to identify, evaluate and
recommend alternative pest management solutions. The working
group scheduled three public workshops: Jan. 14 in Fresno, Jan.
16 in Sacramento (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.) and Jan. 21 in Oxnard (5:30 to
7:30 p.m.).

The working group includes
Nick Frey of the Sonoma
County Winegrowers. Growers
are encouraged to participate in
the workshops.
ORGANICS BALLOT
MEASURE IN 2020?
In November 2020, voters
may see a proposition on the
ballot that would essentially
eliminate all pesticides that are
not organic by 2050. An initiative was filed in December with the
California Secretary of State's office and cleared for circulation.
The initiative was filed by Bob Cannard of Sonoma County,
whose website targets sustainable winegrape growing: "The
yearly, monthly, and weekly cycle of spraying is not an integrated
pest management approach nor a sustainable long-term solution
to pest control."
The initiative would need more than 600,000 signatures by June
8 to qualify for the ballot. For practical purposes, the proponents
will need to gather more than 800,000 signatures to allow for an
unknown number of rejected signatures. If the proponents pay
a professional signature-gathering firm to circulate the petition,
this would cost between $4 million and $10 million.
If this qualifies for the ballot it would be a costly and uphill battle
to defeat it. For example, in 2008 Proposition 2 created standards
for confining farm animals. Opponents spent nearly $9 million
on a No on Prop 2 campaign. Nonetheless, Proposition 2 was
approved by a 64 to 36 percent margin.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Growers have a strong message that needs to get out and are
encouraged	to	engage	on	this	issue:
*	 California	already	has	the	strictest	regulatory	structure	in	
the nation if not the world.
*	 California	winegrape	growers	utilize	sustainable	practices	
and are responsible stewards of the land.
*	 California	vineyards	are	under	threat	from	several	diseases	
and viruses, including red blotch, leaf roll and Pierce's
disease.	Managing	the	vectors	that	spread	these	is	an	
important	function	in	protecting	California	vineyards.		
*	 Utilizing	appropriate	pest	management	tools	based	on	
scientific	research	and	data	is	necessary.

JANUARY 2020 / 5

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/initiative-and-referendum-status/initiatives-referenda-cleared-circulation/ https://www.sonomasun.com/2019/08/10/bob-cannards-crusade-for-a-toxic-free-california/?fbclid=IwAR3skFr1lJ1var8bMnvMd93-cFWgPOZ-mpUUfJglIneqcqIkIYlGiQDqQvc https://www.organiccalifornia2050.org/more http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB86 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB458 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB458 https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pressrls/2019/100919.htm http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1788 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB468 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB916 https://www.ballotpedia.org/california_proposition_2,_standards_for_confining_farm_animals_(2008 https://www.pesticidereform.org/ https://www.calhealthreport.org/2019/10/24/as-california-bans-chlorpyrifos-activists-turn-attention-to-other-pesticides/ https://www.ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_2_videos https://www.calhealthreport.org/2019/10/24/as-california-bans-chlorpyrifos-activists-turn-attention-to-other-pesticides/ https://calepa.ca.gov/2019/05/08/california-acts-to-prohibit-chlorpyrifos-pesticide/ https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/chlorpyrifos/workgroup.htm https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/chlorpyrifos/index.htm

The Crush - January 2020

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