5.3 Endangered Species and Pollinator Protection

EPA Endangered Species Protection Bulletins

The Endangered Species Protection Program (ESPP) is EPA's framework for carrying out its FIFRA responsibilities in compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The program's main field tool is the Endangered Species Protection Bulletin, a document that sets geographically specific Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs) where one or more pesticide use limitations apply to protect a listed (threatened or endangered) species or its designated critical habitat.

Bulletins are accessed through Bulletins Live! Two (BLT), EPA's web-based application at epa.gov/endangered-species/bulletins-live-two-view-bulletins. A bulletin includes a map of the application area, the active ingredient or product, the application month, and the specific pesticide use limitations.

When a Bulletin Is Required

Not every product requires a bulletin. A bulletin is required when the pesticide label directs you to BLT. As EPA implements its ESA strategies (herbicide, insecticide, fungicide) through FIFRA registration review, more labels will carry BLT reference language. When the label does direct you to BLT:

1. Look up the EPA registration number (not the product name) on the label.
2. Enter the application location (state, county, or map the area).
3. Enter the application month.
4. Generate and print the bulletin; you may obtain a bulletin up to six months before the application.
5. Follow every Limit on Pesticide Use listed on the bulletin.

Enforceability

When referenced on a product label, bulletins are enforceable mitigation under FIFRA section 12(a)(2)(G). Failing to follow a bulletin is pesticide misuse and may also constitute unauthorized "take" of a listed species under the ESA, which carries separate penalties.

Critical Habitat

Critical habitat is a specific geographic area formally designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service as essential to the conservation of a listed species. Critical habitat may overlap with cropland, rangeland, or water bodies. Bulletins frequently impose wider buffers, lower rates, or seasonal timing restrictions within critical habitat boundaries. An applicator does not need to identify the species itself - only the location, product, and month - because BLT maps the limitation to the area.

Pollinator Protection Basics

Pollinators - honey bees, native bees, butterflies, and other insects - are essential to many Iowa crops and to wild plant communities. Pesticide exposure to pollinators can cause acute kills, sublethal effects on navigation and reproduction, and colony-level losses. The label's Pollinator Protection section and the EPA Bee Advisory box (the bee icon) summarize the key rules.

Core Pollinator-Protection Practices

• Do not apply while crops are blooming. Most labels prohibit application to blooming crops when bees are foraging unless the label explicitly allows it.
• Apply in the evening or early morning when bees are not actively foraging. Many labels specify a time window (e.g., after 6 p.m. or before 8 a.m.).
• Notify registered beekeepers before spraying near hives so they can close hives or move them. Iowa's registry supports this notification.
• Check the label for bee toxicity warnings and follow any specific bee-hazard language (e.g., "This product is highly toxic to bees").
• Choose the least toxic product that still controls the pest when pollinators are present.
• Minimize drift onto adjacent blooming weeds, cover crops, or habitat.

Iowa Apiary Registration

Iowa beekeepers register hive locations with the state apiarist through BeeCheck (ia.beecheck.org) or DriftWatch (ia.driftwatch.org), the Iowa Sensitive Crop Registry platforms operated by IDALS and FieldWatch. Registration expires December 31 each year and must be renewed annually; renewal emails go out in early January.

Applicators look up registered apiary locations through the FieldCheck tool. Under Iowa's Bee Rule (IAC 21-45.31), applicators are responsible for maintaining a one-mile distance from registered apiaries on blooming crops during the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. foraging window for any product labeled toxic to bees.

Practical Pollinator and ESA Checklist

• Read the label's Pollinator Protection section and any Bee Advisory box.
• If the label references Bulletins Live! Two, generate and print the bulletin for the application area, product, and month before spraying.
• Avoid application to blooming crops when bees are foraging.
• Schedule applications for evening or early morning.
• Check the Iowa Sensitive Crop Registry for registered apiaries and notify beekeepers when you must spray near hives.
• Follow all bulletin limitations within critical habitat, including buffers, rate caps, and timing restrictions.