WASHINGTON, DC (August 6, 2010) – David P. Tenny, President and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners, praised Senators Lincoln and Chambliss for the introduction of legislation to eliminate redundant and unnecessary regulation on the use of pesticides to control harmful pests.
Tenny stated, “We appreciate the leadership of Senators Lincoln and Chambliss to promote the responsible use of pesticides as a vital part of sustainable forest management. Industrial-style Clean Water Act permits are not necessary to assure that pesticides are used with the proper care.
“EPA does a thorough job under the pesticide laws to assure the safety of a product before it is available for use. EPA then requires manufacturers to include specific application requirements on product labels and conduct regular reviews to assure that label instructions provide for safe use.
“Forest managers have an excellent record of strictly adhering to EPA label requirements, as well as water quality best management practices, to control pests that interfere with sustainable forest management. Imposing additional regulatory burdens which do not improve environmental performance will only add costs to forest management that weaken the economic viability of sustainably managed working forests over the long term.
“Today’s action by Senators Lincoln and Chambliss is a balanced, common sense approach to responsible pesticides use. We look forward to working with the Senators and their colleagues as the bill proceeds through Congress.”
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NAFO is an organization of private forest owners committed to advancing federal policies that promote the economic and environmental values of privately-owned forests at the national level. NAFO membership encompasses more than 75 million acres of private forestland in 47 states. View NAFO’s interactive map to see the economic impact of America’s working forests.
Tags: environment
