Montpelier, VT —The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) released a new report today that outlines a clear path to reducing Vermont’s reliance on harmful pesticides, which will improve protections for public health, clean water, and wildlife.

The report, A Roadmap for Reducing Pesticide Use in Vermont, finds that pesticide use remains widespread across the state, despite mounting evidence of serious risks to human health, pollinators, aquatic ecosystems, and drinking water. Monitoring data collected by state agencies show pesticide contamination in Vermont rivers and streams at levels that exceed federal regulatory benchmarks, yet current oversight and data collection remain limited.

“Vermonters expect clean water, healthy communities, and safe places for children to learn and play,” said Jared Carpenter, the paper’s author. “The goal of this paper is to make it clear that our current pesticide policies are falling short and that Vermont has the opportunity to do better – both in terms of limiting the use of pesticides so that they are a last resort for pest management, and to improve the oversight of pesticide use in our state.” 

Agriculture accounts for the majority of pesticide use in Vermont, but pesticides are also routinely applied in schools, parks, roadsides, residential areas, and other places where people and wildlife can be directly exposed to harmful chemicals. State monitoring has detected herbicides and insecticides, including atrazine and neonicotinoids, in surface waters above levels known to harm aquatic life.

In A Roadmap for Reducing Pesticide Use in Vermont, a suite of recommendations to reduce pesticide use statewide is laid out, including: 

• expanding data collection to establish a clear baseline of pesticide contamination in surface and groundwater, 
• phasing out the most harmful pesticides, including those linked to cancer, neurological harm, and ecosystem damage, 
• promoting integrated pest management practices so pesticides are used as a last resort, 
• reducing pesticide use in schools, on state property, and in other public spaces, including allowing municipalities greater authority to restrict pesticide use locally, and 
• shifting primary regulatory oversight of pesticides away from the Department of Agriculture to the Agency of Natural Resources, with support from the Department of Health. 

“Vermont has made progress addressing harmful pesticides like neonicotinoids in recent years, and this report outlines a series of additional steps the state can take to better protect our residents, water, and wildlife from the unnecessary use of these chemicals,” said Lauren Hierl, Executive Director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. “This year, we can take immediate steps like banning the extremely toxic pesticide Paraquat, and reduce pesticide use in sensitive areas like schools.”

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About the Report’s Author:

Jared Carpenter is an environmental attorney who has worked for ten years with environmental organizations in the Vermont State House, including on topics such as water quality, pesticides, flood and drought resilience, and wetlands policy. Jared is a graduate of Vermont Law School (VLS) with both a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy and Juris Doctor. Jared is Vice President of Friends of the Winooski River, Secretary of the MadDog Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) Vermont, and the Vermont Representative on Trout Unlimited’s National Leadership Council.

About the One Hive Foundation:

The One Hive Foundation is a private foundation that supports nonprofit research and community partners to promote pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture.

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