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About PESP
EPA established PESP in 1994 as a voluntary partnership program to reduce pesticide risk and announced the first six PESP Partners. In 1995, EPA added a Supporter category to allow organizations that train, educate, or influence pesticide users to participate in PESP and, thereby, be recognized for their contributions to reducing pesticide risk.
By joining PESP, organizations pledge that environmental stewardship is an integral part of pest management, and they commit to working toward innovative practices that reduce risk to human health and the environment. For example, many PESP members are adopting the use of biological pesticides or biopesticides, such as microbial pesticides, pheromones, or natural compounds, which target specific pests and generally pose little or no risk to humans or the environment.
In addition to promoting the use of biopesticides, PESP advocates the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) programs or practices. IPM is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information with available pest control methods to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.
EPA regulates the use of pesticides for both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The law requires EPA to review uses of a new pesticide before it is allowed to be sold and used for pest control in the United States– a process we call registration. At the same time, the law requires EPA to review the uses of older pesticides through processes called re-registration, tolerance reassessment, and registration review.
Although regulation plays an important role in safeguarding human health and the environment, the regulatory process has been criticized for being lengthy and costly for both the registrant and the government. In reaction to such criticism, EPA created a process for expediting the registration of biopesticides and conventional, chemical pesticides deemed safer than most pesticides on the market today. The Agency also created PESP to work with pesticide users to adopt safer methods of pest control.
Between 1994 and 2004, membership in PESP increased from six charter members to 150 members. By joining PESP, members demonstrate their organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship. PESP members take a strategic approach to reducing pesticide risk by undertaking specific, measurable activities. The strategy process keeps all participants-- Partners, Supporters, and EPA --focused on the goal of pesticide risk reduction. Each year EPA issues guidance to PESP members on how to develop strategies for the coming year and report their progress in reducing pesticide risk during the previous year.
PESP is coordinated by the Office of Pesticide Programs’ Environmental Stewardship Branch. Each PESP member is assigned a liaison from the Office of Pesticide Programs or an EPA Regional Office. The liaison works with the member to provide assistance in developing and implementing a strategy, and the liaison shares information on EPA activities and funding opportunities to support strategy implementation.
Since 1999, PESP members have been grouped into sectors for the purposes of organizational efficiency and technology transfer. Each sector has a leader who assigns liaisons to members and guides the sector in strategy development and performance reporting.
Since 2002, EPA has publicized the performance of outstanding members by selecting PESP Champions. Members are recognized for their outstanding efforts promoting IPM and reducing pesticide risk and for their extraordinary level of commitment to protecting human health and the environment.
In addition to its voluntary partnership program, PESP provides funding to promote IPM and reduce pesticide risks. Since 1995, almost 70 projects have been funded through a competitive process coordinated by a non-profit organization with financial assistance from EPA. Approximately half of the projects were agricultural in nature. Some of the biggest successes were with non-agricultural projects involving schools and communities.
Regional PESP grants support pollution prevention projects that are important to and complement ongoing efforts in EPA’s Regional Offices. Since 1996, this program has used State and Tribal Assistance Grants funds to support over 110 projects totaling roughly $4.5 million.
The first ten years of PESP were characterized by rapid growth, experimentation, and innovation in which PESP evolved into a mature and established federal program. It is the Agency’s premier program dedicated to voluntary, partnerships for reducing pesticide risk, as well as the first such program at EPA.