Comment Period on Predator Controls Nearing End

February 22, 2008 - March 5 is the last day for those interested in commenting on the cancellation of two valuable predator management tools to submit comments. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a petition from animal rights groups requesting the agency to cancel all uses of M-44 sodium cyanide capsules and Compound 1080.

As of Thursday evening, nearly 650 comments have been submitted on this controversial issue. Roughly 260 comments opposing the cancellation of the tools have been posted so far.

"I commend the originality of the comments filed opposing cancellation. They show concern and true passion based on real world experiences of managing predators on farms and ranches," stated Dustin Bryant, associate director of resource management for the American Sheep Industry Association. "There have been many repeats and form letters filled by those who want tools canceled indicating little to no direct experience with predators or livestock."

Compound 1080 is a substance used in livestock protection collars and sodium cyanide is used in a capsulated form in M-44 ejectors. The M-44 is second only to aerial hunting in controlling coyotes for predator management in the United States. As coyotes are, by far, the number one predator, loss of a tool such as the M-44 would have a negative impact. Both substances are effective and efficient environmentally sound predator control tools used only by trained and certified applicators.

In addition to livestock producers and organization, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies commented, urging the EPA to continue registrations of M-44 sodium cyanide capsules and the sodium fluoroacetate (compound 1080) Livestock Protection Collar.

"These products are valuable tools used under close scrutiny and oversight that contribute to our member agencies' wildlife management goals and objectives related to predation management and resource conservation," they stated in their comments.

All 50 State Fish and Wildlife Agencies are members of the association.

Comments can be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=090000648039c549. You will be asked to identify your comments by docket identification number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0944

To submit your comments via mail, the following address should be used: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP); Regulatory Public Docket (7502P); Environmental Protection Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; Washington, D.C. 20460-0001. Also include this additional information in a subject line to assure proper handling: Comments to Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0944; Petition Requesting EPA to Issue a Notice of Intent to Cancel the Registrations Of M-44 Sodium Cyanide Capsules and Sodium Fluoroacetate; Federal Register Volume 72, Number E7-22369, pages 64623-64624.

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