Publication Summary

Several species of salmon and trout in Washington State have recently been listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Numerous factors, such as the deterioration or loss of freshwater and estuarine habitat, hydropower operations, hatchery practices and over-harvesting have contributed to the decline of these wild salmonid populations. As a component of habitat, the degradation of water quality contributes to salmonid population declines. Among the various factors that determine water quality in salmonid habitat, there is a growing concern that current-use pesticides could potentially harm threatened or endangered salmonids (T/E salmonids). Despite this concern, the effects of pesticides on salmonid health and aquatic ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest are not well understood.

Several species of salmon and trout in Washington State have recently been listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Numerous factors, such as the deterioration or loss of freshwater and estuarine habitat, hydropower operations, hatchery practices and over-harvesting have contributed to the decline of these wild salmonid populations. As a component of habitat, the degradation of water quality contributes to salmonid population declines. Among the various factors that determine water quality in salmonid habitat, there is a growing concern that current-use pesticides could potentially harm threatened or endangered salmonids (T/E salmonids). Despite this concern, the effects of pesticides on salmonid health and aquatic ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest are not well understood.

An interagency Task Force was convened in March of 2000 to address the considerable scientific uncertainty surrounding the effects of pesticides on the essential biological requirements of salmonids. The Task Force is a collaborative effort between the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (Region 10), and Washington State Departments of Agriculture, Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources. The U.S. Geological Survey and Washington State University have also contributed in an advisory capacity. The principal mission of the Task Force is to provide science-based guidance to natural resource and regulatory agencies on the potential adverse impacts of pesticides on salmonids and/or aquatic ecosystems.

A primary goal of the Task Force has been to develop an evaluation process that incorporates the best available scientific data and information on 1) the transport of pesticides to salmonid habitat, and 2) the toxicity of these chemicals to fish and/or the aquatic foodweb. The Task Force′s screening process, or decision matrix, will be used to identify which individual pesticides are, and which are not, a potential risk to the biological requirements of T/E salmonids or their critical habitat in Washington State. Finally, this evaluation process is being designed to facilitate ESA compliance for registered uses of pesticides in Washington State.

This White Paper provides a brief background on the ESA and the geographical distribution of T/E salmonids in Washington State. In addition, it provides an introduction to current-use pesticides, the State's Agriculture, Fish and Water process, and the history and mission of the Washington State Pesticide/ESA Task Force. Specifically, the White Paper describes the Task Force's pesticide evaluation process that will be used to screen the approximately 750 pesticide active ingredients that are currently registered in Washington State. The current decision matrix does not contain a complete description of the decision criteria that will be used to evaluate individual chemicals. The Task Force intends to provide the scientific basis for each decision criteria in an expanded technical document.