‘The Deal with Dicamba’ the focus of May 15 NALC webinar
The webinar will cover the recent federal court decision on over-the-top dicamba use, the EPA's response and what producers may expect in the future.
By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
May 1, 2024
Fast facts:
- Webinar on dicamba will cover recent legal developments
- National Ag Law Center’s Brigit Rollins is presenting
- Registration is online
(456 words)
Download related photo of Rollins
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The rollercoaster of changing state and federal policies regarding
dicamba has kept producers on their toes in recent years. Earlier this year, a federal
court in Arizona called into question the future of over-the-top dicamba use for producers.
“The Feb. 6 decision from the U.S. District Court of Arizona was another major development
in the ongoing saga impacting producers’ methods for protecting their crops,” Brigit
Rollins, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, said. “Pending a
possible appeal, producers will not be able to rely on over-the-top dicamba as they
may have in the past.”
On Feb. 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice stating that it would allow farmers and producers to use their remaining dicamba stocks.
“We’ve seen this in the past, where the EPA allows producers to use dicamba stock
that was purchased prior to a ruling,” Rollins said. “The end date for sale and distribution
of dicamba stocks, as well as the end date for use of existing stocks, varies from
state to state, so it’s important that producers consult the EPA’s notice to ensure
they are complying with the new policy.”
May 15 webinar
Rollins will discuss dicamba during the next National Agricultural Law Center webinar,
which will be held on May 15. The webinar, titled, “The Deal with Dicamba: Overview
of Recent Legal Developments,” will begin at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. The event
has no cost and registration is available online.
A recurring theme in the ongoing saga of dicamba lawsuits is environmental plaintiffs
claiming the EPA has violated both the Endangered Species Act, or ESA, and the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, known as FIFRA.
“A large part of why we get these court decisions impacting access to products such
as dicamba is due to the EPA’s approach to meeting its ESA responsibilities while
carrying out actions under FIFRA,” Rollins said. “The EPA is in the process of developing
its new policy for how it meets these responsibilities. Because of this, we are expecting
future changes to how producers are able to use pesticide products.”
Rollins discusses the history of dicamba and policy in her article series “The Deal
with Dicamba,” which is available online on the NALC website. She also reviewed the EPA’s new ESA-FIFRA policy in a previous
NALC webinar, which is available to watch online.
“Brigit is an expert in pesticide developments and policy,” NALC Director Harrison
Pittman said. “She has created great NALC resources on this topical area, such as
the NALC Endangered Species Act Manual, and has presented excellent webinars in the past.”
The NALC has had two prior “The Deal with Dicamba” webinars presented by Rollins.
Recordings can be found online in the NALC’s Webinar Series archive.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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About the National Agricultural Law Center
The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural
and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal
policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many
others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information
to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and
works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural
Library.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to
participate or need materials in another format, please contact dviguet@uark.edu as
soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media contact:
Drew Viguet
Communications & Special Projects Coordinator
National Agricultural Law Center
dviguet@uark.edu