Board of Pesticides Control Update
Stay up to date with the latest from the Board of Pesticides Control. This update covers everything you need to know about upcoming meetings, new rules, and important reminders to keep you and your community safe. We’re here to keep you informed, and we’d like to hear your thoughts—drop us an email anytime at pesticides@maine.gov.
The following program has been approved for pesticide recertification credits. More recertification opportunities may be found on the BPC Credit Calendar.
July 29, 2026 – Maine Pomological Society Summer Tour at Highmoor Farm
- Location: Highmoor Farm, Rt. 202, Monmouth, ME
- Approved for 1 pesticide credit
- For More Information and Registration, please contact Renee Moran, rmoran@maine.edu, (207) 713-7083
August 5, 2026 – 2026 UMaine Sustainable Agriculture Research Tour
- Location: UMaine Rogers Forage and Crops Research Farm, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town, ME
- Approved for 2 pesticide credits
- For More Information and Registration, please contact Jaime Garzon, jaime.garzon@maine.edu, (207) 581-2956
The next Board Meeting is August 21, 2026 it will be hybrid at the Deering Building in Room 101 in Augusta, ME 04330, and on Microsoft Teams. The meeting starts at 9:00 AM. For more information, visit the Board Meetings Page.
Stakeholder Information Gathering Meeting
Pursuant to the 132nd Maine Legislature's passage of L.D. 1323 (RSLV 2026 c. 69), the Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) has embarked on a study to evaluate the impact of neonicotinoids on pollinators, humans, and the environment. The BPC is seeking input from the public, stakeholders, and interested parties on the seven study topics as directed by L.D. 1323 (RSLV 2026 c. 69, see Sec. 1). The BPC plans to hold 2 stakeholder input gathering meetings at upcoming board meetings and welcomes any written feedback on these topics.
The second of these input gathering meetings will be held on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 101 of the Deering Building, located at 90 Blossom Lane in Augusta. This meeting will be hybrid and may also be attended via MSTEAMS. The link to the meeting will be posted on the Board's Meetings webpage.
The BPC maintains a list of registered products on the front page of its website. For a list of the current Maine registrations.
New Pesticide Programs Manager
BPC is excited to announce a new Pesticide Program Manager, Lindsay Johnston-Fennell. Lindsay joins the BPC after serving as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's District Conservationist for Hancock County, where she worked closely with farmers and landowners to implement conservation practices that support resilient agricultural operations and healthy ecosystems.
Lindsay also brings a strong background in entomology and soil arthropod ecology. At Cornell University, her research explored the connections between soil health management and integrated pest management (IPM) in field crops, with a focus on how soil health practices influence pest populations and crop resilience.
Lindsay is excited to join the BPC team and looks forward to working with growers, pesticide applicators, and partners across the state to support science-based pesticide stewardship.
BPC Monthly Update Survey
We want to hear from you! Please take a moment to complete this survey and share helpful insights on what industry professionals and interested parties would like to read about in the updates. The survey is anonymous, and the answers will inform BPC on how to make the updates more engaging and useful for readers. You can take the survey now via Microsoft Forms.
Dr. Doug Van Hoewyk
One of the more enjoyable aspects of my position is getting the chance to interact with other scientists who work for the State of Maine but in different departments. Last month I had the opportunity to work with a colleague at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on a potential project that seeks to control invasive aquatic plants in Maine lakes. I was able to learn about the ecology and physiology of water milfoil, a plant that can rapidly colonize Maine lakes and outcompete native plants. Mainers have options to control aquatic plants that include non-chemical methods; this includes physically removing these noxious plants, a technique that has been effective at controlling water milfoil in Little Sebago Lake. This demonstrates how community action and an integrated pest management plan can promote environmental stewardship of Maine’s protected waters.
Additional Resources:
Notifications – Outdoor Applications
The BPC compliance team would like to remind applicators about two types of notification options that members of the public have a right to request, per CMR 01-026 Chapter 28: Notification Provisions for Outdoor Pesticide Applications. Below is a summary of the requirements, but please review Ch. 28 for additional critical information.
- Under Ch. 28, Section 1, people living within 500 feet of any outdoor pesticide application, and 1,000 feet of any aerial application, can request to be notified before an application occurs.
- This is separate from the Notification Registry described below and BPC does not have a list.
- The owner, lessee or other legal occupant makes the request directly to the person responsible for management of the land on which the pesticide application will take place, such as the contracted commercial applicator.
- The requestor must be provided with general information about the application, such as dates, the products used, contact information, etc.
- Where feasible, the notification shall be given within one week after the request for notification is received and at least one day before any pesticide application is to occur.
- There is no expiration date for this type of notification request. Commercial applicators are advised to keep their own lists up to date and distribute them to all staff.
- There are no exceptions to the types of pesticide applications that fall under this notification request. This is different from the Maine Pesticide Notification Registry, which does include some exceptions (see below).
- Under Ch.28, Section 2, people may sign up Maine Pesticide Notification Registry.
- The individual contacts BPC to be added to the registry.
- Individuals must renew their inclusion in the registry every year.
- BPC publishes a new registry list every year. Commercial applicators are advised to make sure their staff only use the current year’s registry.
- Commercial applicators shall notify an individual listed on the registry when performing an outdoor, non-agricultural pesticide application that is within 250 feet of the property boundary of the listed registry residence.
- The notification must include general information such as the location of the application, date and time, products used, and contact information.
- Notification must be received between 6 hours and 14 days prior to the pesticide application.
- The person or company performing the pesticide application bears the burden of proof for demonstrating that they have complied with this section.
- There are several exemptions to the requirement for contacting people on the registry, such as making indoor applications, agricultural applications, pesticidal baits, and more. Please see Ch. 28 for a full list.
The complete rule language can be found in 01-026 CMR Chapter 28.
For additional information, contact the BPC at pesticides@maine.gov or 207-287-2731.
Pursuant to Section 2(a) the Executive Order 14414, Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience, EPA has proposed and is taking public comment on the actions noted below. Each active ingredient is already commercially available; the proposed new uses would, if finalized, give farmers and other users a potential new alternative to older products and chemistries currently in use.
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Florpyrauxifen-benzyl– EPA is proposing a new use of the herbicide florpyrauxifen-benzyl on turf (EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0646)
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Topramezone– EPA is proposing a new use of the herbicide topramezone for over-the-top use on topramezone-tolerant cotton (EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-3291)
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Isoxaflutole- EPA is proposing a new use of the herbicide isoxaflutole for over-the-top use on isoxaflutole-tolerant cotton (EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0202)
Before any pesticide can be registered, the law requires EPA to find that the product, used as labeled, does not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. EPA applied that same gold-standard review to each of these active ingredients: comprehensive consideration of toxicity across multiple species and life stages, specific evaluation of children's safety and developmental effects, assessment of any reproductive and chronic health impacts, environmental fate and exposure analysis, and where warranted, Endangered Species Act evaluations with any necessary mitigation. It is also worth noting these are not all new chemistries — several are new or expanded uses of already-registered active ingredients.
These tools help farmers manage economically damaging, herbicide-resistant weeds like Palmer amaranth, and they support regenerative, soil-health practices such as no-till farming — an alternative to intensive tillage that increases runoff and erosion. EPA welcomes feedback on these proposed actions during the comment periods and will keep the public informed of any additional actions relevant to implementing Executive Order 14414, as appropriate.
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