Oct 02, 2022
Mary Jane Angelo & Megan Lancaster
In this Article, we analyze three federal statutes to determine what, if any, utility they may have in addressing the problem of declines of beneficial insect populations: the federal Endangered Species Act, the Farm Bill, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. An in-depth evaluation of these statutes reveals that the Endangered Species Act and Farm Bill have a limited role to play in protecting beneficial insect populations. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, on the other hand, has the potential to dramatically reduce insect population declines resulting from habitat loss and pesticide use. After taking a deep dive into this federal law, we propose solutions that can be implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency without the need for additional congressional action. Specifically, we offer five distinct recommendations that the Environmental Protection Agency could implement with its existing regulatory authority that would substantially reduce the decline in beneficial insect populations and the ecosystem services they provide, which are essential to protect life on earth.