Maine Audubon is pleased to announce the passage of LD 1323, Resolve: Directing the Board of Pesticides Control to Evaluate the Impacts of Neonicotinoids on Pollinators, Humans and the Environment in the Maine Legislature. The bill requires the state to further evaluate impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”) on pollinators and people. LD 1323 secured bipartisan support among lawmakers, representing an important milestone in our work to protect pollinators, wildlife, and farmers.
LD 1323 was significantly amended from its original proposal, which would have banned the use of neonics in various forms. Maine Audubon helped draft the original bill, which would have built off of recent efforts to further restrict neonics in Maine by prohibiting the use of neonics on ornamental plants, plants in bloom, and specific crops, and, with some exemptions, by banning neonic-coated seeds for soybeans and cereal crops. This bill now requires the Board of Pesticides Control to conduct a robust study to further analyze the impacts of neonics—including neonicotinoid-treated seeds—on pollinators and people in Maine.
“We’re thrilled to see the Maine Legislature take this action on behalf of some of our most vulnerable wildlife,” says Ania Wright, Policy Advocate with Maine Audubon. “Though there is more work to be done on neonics, this is an important step to protect the environment.”
Maine passed a landmark law in 2021 to limit residential neonic use, but these toxic chemicals are still entering our ecosystems. More than 90% of neonic-treated seed coatings end up in the environment, contaminating soil and water while offering little to no benefit to farmers. In fact, they often disrupt the natural balance by killing not just pests, but also beneficial insects and the predators that keep pest populations in check. Our native bees—270 species strong—are especially vulnerable, as are the birds and other wildlife that rely on insect populations for food. Neonics are a major contributor to their decline.
