FESTF Background

The FIFRA Endangered Species Task Force (FESTF) is a limited liability company composed of agrochemical companies and was formed to address EPA’s registration and data requirements associated with pesticides and their potential impact on threatened and endangered species. FESTF’s work products are used by companies to meet their general requirements to provide endangered species proximity data. They are also used to conduct individual endangered species assessments that are required when any product exceeds an endangered species level of concern from a screening-level ecological risk assessment.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted in 1973 by Congress and was first tested by the Tellico Dam/Snail Darter conflict, which permanently halted a virtually completed dam on which $100 million had already been spent, under congressional authorization. The circuitous route by which this Act and associated legal decisions have impacted federal agencies such as Office of Pesticide Programs within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA OPP) because OPP, as it makes federal actions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA ) to implement their regulatory programs, must comply with ESA. Recently published Counterpart Regulations modified the conditions under which EPA must consult with the Services as it conducts endangered species effects determinations to support federal actions on pesticides. There are also specific endangered species FIFRA data requirements imposed under EPA's 40 CFR Part 158 Regulations.

If you wish to learn more about FESTF or rely upon its data, please see the Membership Information section of this web page.

Please send comments to webmaster@festf.org
Last Update:  October 18, 2005