The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft Fungicide Strategy and invited public comment on measures intended to reduce harm to federally listed wildlife and plants. The agency says the draft recommends practical, science-based protections for more than 1,000 species while preserving flexibility for states, growers and applicators. EPA frames the effort as part of its statutory duties under the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and says approved pesticides must continue to meet rigorous safety standards.
EPA's draft uses a three-step framework to assess fungicide risks: (1) identify potential population-level impacts to listed species, (2) identify mitigation measures, and (3) determine where those mitigations should apply. The agency emphasizes the strategy itself does not impose new legal requirements but will inform registration and registration-review decisions and proposal of mitigation measures in future regulatory actions. EPA also says it will take public input on any specific mitigation proposals before final decisions are made.
The document targets conventional agricultural fungicides used across the lower 48 states and notes roughly 41 million acres are treated with fungicides annually in those states. In its assessments EPA considers where listed species live, the resources they need (for example food or pollinator presence), how fungicides can move through soil and water, and effects on non-target organisms. The draft was developed using lessons from the agency's earlier herbicide and insecticide strategies with an emphasis on clearer implementation for applicators and more flexibility for growers.
What the strategy covers
Among the mitigation options the draft updates are revisions to spray-drift buffer guidance and broader acceptance of spray-drift adjuvants, including adding guar gum as an adjuvant type the agency may consider. EPA says the strategy is intended to enable tailored protections through collaboration with federal, state and Tribal partners and to allow states and growers room to adopt approaches that fit local conditions. The agency frames these measures as ways to protect species without removing critical tools from crop protection toolboxes used to manage disease and resistance.
To comment, stakeholders can find the draft and supporting documents in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-2973 and submit remarks at regulations.gov during the 60-day comment period that closes June 29, 2026. EPA will host a public webinar on May 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET to explain the draft and take questions; registration is available through the agency's events page. The agency says it will continue stakeholder engagement, including with state and Tribal partners, as it refines the strategy.
EPA says it will use the Fungicide Strategy to guide future registration and registration-review actions and expects to finalize the strategy no later than November 2026.
Image credit: www.epa.gov
