Endangered Species: Pesticide Restrictions

EPA’s Endangered Species Protection Program is designed to determine whether pesticide use may affect any threatened or endangered species or cause harmful modification of designated critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Our goal is to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats, without placing unnecessary burden on agriculture and pesticide users. Pesticide limitations are developed to ensure safe use of pesticides in order to meet this goal. 

If a geographically-specific pesticide use limitation is necessary to protect a listed species or its designated critical habitat, the information appears as an Endangered Species Protection Bulletin and is referenced on the pesticide label. Since these pesticide labels refer to Bulletins, the Bulletins are enforceable as an extension of the label. View endangered species bulletins.

Additional voluntary pesticide restrictions have been developed as part of interim measures in response to litigation. These interim measures will be removed or replaced by other mitigation measures once the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service complete consultation with the EPA. Those restrictions can be found on the Endangered Species Litigation page.