Society
Science Policy
Lee Van Wychen, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Science Policy
Weed Science Society of America
5720 Glenmullen Pl,
Alexandria, VA 22303
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 202-746-4686
Updates & Recent Items
September 5, 2025
The Honorable Brooke Rollins
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington,
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WSSA joined 31 other national organizations urging HHS Sec. Kennedy, USDA Sec. Rollins and EPA Administrator Zeldin to seek public comment on the MAHA report set to be released by August 12.
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Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Thune, Leader Jeffries, and Leader Schumer,
We write to express our great concern with recent misinterpretations of long-standing policy regarding the regulation and labeling of pesticide products,
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Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin,
As organizations representing millions of farmers, ranchers, food producers, and ingredient manufacturers,
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Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin,
As organizations representing the food and agriculture community, we write to express our interest in working with you and the Make America Healthy Again Commission in advancing our shared goals of improving health outcomes for Americans while protecting our most vulnerable populations.
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Dear Secretary Rollins,
As representatives of the food and agriculture value chain, the undersigned organizations write to express our enthusiasm for working with you and other Trump administration leaders to ensure that America continues to have the safest,
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Dear President-elect Trump’s Transition Team,
As representatives of the food and agriculture value chain, the undersigned organizations
write to express our enthusiasm for working with you and upcoming administration leaders
to ensure that America continues to have the safest,
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October 14, 2024
Dear Chairwoman Stabenow, Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Boozman, and Ranking Member Scott,
In recent weeks,
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On July 22, 2024, the National and Regional Weed Science Societies were among 318 stakeholders who wrote a letter to EPA to share our concerns and seek a dialogue with EPA on ways to improve its process for assessing potential risks that pesticides may pose to endangered species and their critical habitats.
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Dear Administrator Li,
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), along with the Aquatic Plant Management
Society (APMS), North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS),
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Dear Misters Bongard and Savage,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter the EPA) White Paper Describing Benefits of Structured and Digital Content Labels for Pesticide Products (EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0562).
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The Weed Science Societies suggest nine additional ways to mitigate the impact of herbicides on listed species due to spray drift, which includes decreased buffers for ultra-coarse droplets,
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On August 6, 2023, the WSSA submitted comments (link here) on the U.S. EPA’s proposed Vulnerable Listed Species Pilot Project: Proposed Mitigations,
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The six national and regional weed science societies are signatories on the USDOT Invasive Plant Elimination Program Support Letter to Congress,
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On November 16, the EPA released an Updated ESA Workplan that provides more details about how EPA plans to impose various mitigation measures that will be required on pesticide labels to meet its ESA obligations when registering a pesticide.
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PRIA 5 Support Letter PRIA established a new section of FIFRA in 2004 that put in place pesticide registration service fees paid by registrants in exchange for specific time periods for EPA to make a regulatory decision on pesticide registrations and tolerance actions.
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The WSSA submitted comments on October 7, 2022 to the EPA’s proposed revisions on the atrazine interim decision. Many thanks to our members who offered comments and suggestions.
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Dear President Biden:
We write to express our grave concern with a recent change in long-standing policy regarding the regulation and labeling of pesticide products relied upon by farmers and other users.
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Dear Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Members of the Committee:
We, the undersigned, appreciate the work that you have done on the Senate Agriculture Committee to promote and strengthen publicly funded agricultural research across our great nation,
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Dear Chair Thompson, Ranking Member Craig, Chair Boozman, and Ranking Member
Klobuchar,
The undersigned organizations, representing farmers, ranchers, agricultural scientists,
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member
Shaheen:
The undersigned research institutions, scientific societies, and agricultural stakeholders
respectfully request $400 million for animal health and $390 million for plant health
programs at U.S.
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
The undersigned organizations representing agriculture, academia, industry, and the food and nutrition community write to thank you for your continued bipartisan support of the U.S.
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
The undersigned research institutions, scientific societies,
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Answers to each of the 5 questions below will be submitted at: https://arsbiocontrol.ars.usda.gov/
- How can we improve this Roadmap that integrates biocontrol with other bio-based strategies and emerging tools?
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Dear Secretary Rollins,
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) along with our affiliate societies, the Aquatic Plant
Management Society (APMS),
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Dear Mr. Adam Telle,
Congratulations on your recent Senate confirmation as the new Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil
Works.
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
As Congress develops a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending package,
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May 5 – 9, 2025
During the week of May 5, the National and Regional Weed Science Society Presidents traveled to Washington DC for Congressional and stakeholder visits.
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Dear Secretary Burgum: Our organizations write in full support of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. We urge you to fully fund the Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) at the same FY25 funding level in the FY26 federal budget for the agency to continue its critical work of maintaining our nation’s natural resources,
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Dear Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro and Subcommittee Chairman Harris and Ranking Member
Bishop:
We, the Friends of IR-4 and the Commodity Liaison Committee (CLC) of the IR-4 are writing to you in strong support of the House Agriculture Appropriations bill that passed out of Committee on July 10,
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
As your Committees consider Appropriations for the Agriculture,
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Coalition is composed of research institutions,
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Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
The undersigned members of the Friends of the Agricultural Research Service (FARS) Coalition write to thank you for your continued support of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in FY 2024.
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During the week of April 17, the presidents from the four regional weed science societies and WSSA traveled to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of weed science policy initiatives and help WSSA achieve its mission of promoting research,
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Dear Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Members of the Committee:
We, the undersigned, appreciate the work that you have done on the Senate Agriculture Committee to promote and strengthen publicly funded agricultural research across our great nation,
… more
Dear Chair Thompson, Ranking Member Craig, Chair Boozman, and Ranking Member
Klobuchar,
The undersigned organizations, representing farmers, ranchers, agricultural scientists,
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member
Shaheen:
The undersigned research institutions, scientific societies, and agricultural stakeholders
respectfully request $400 million for animal health and $390 million for plant health
programs at U.S.
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
The undersigned organizations representing agriculture, academia, industry, and the food and nutrition community write to thank you for your continued bipartisan support of the U.S.
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
The undersigned research institutions, scientific societies,
… more
Answers to each of the 5 questions below will be submitted at: https://arsbiocontrol.ars.usda.gov/
- How can we improve this Roadmap that integrates biocontrol with other bio-based strategies and emerging tools?
… more
Dear Secretary Rollins,
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) along with our affiliate societies, the Aquatic Plant
Management Society (APMS),
… more
Dear Mr. Adam Telle,
Congratulations on your recent Senate confirmation as the new Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil
Works.
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Shaheen:
As Congress develops a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending package,
… more
May 5 – 9, 2025
During the week of May 5, the National and Regional Weed Science Society Presidents traveled to Washington DC for Congressional and stakeholder visits.
… more
Dear Secretary Burgum: Our organizations write in full support of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. We urge you to fully fund the Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) at the same FY25 funding level in the FY26 federal budget for the agency to continue its critical work of maintaining our nation’s natural resources,
… more
Dear Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro and Subcommittee Chairman Harris and Ranking Member
Bishop:
We, the Friends of IR-4 and the Commodity Liaison Committee (CLC) of the IR-4 are writing to you in strong support of the House Agriculture Appropriations bill that passed out of Committee on July 10,
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
As your Committees consider Appropriations for the Agriculture,
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Coalition is composed of research institutions,
… more
Dear Chairman Harris, Chairman Heinrich, Ranking Member Bishop, and Ranking Member Hoeven:
The undersigned members of the Friends of the Agricultural Research Service (FARS) Coalition write to thank you for your continued support of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in FY 2024.
… more
During the week of April 17, the presidents from the four regional weed science societies and WSSA traveled to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of weed science policy initiatives and help WSSA achieve its mission of promoting research,
… more
Following is an archive of historical research priorities identified by the Weed Science Society of America. This collection includes documents such as comments to USDA-AFRI, reports of NIFA stakeholder workshops, USDA-ARS 5-year plans, manuscripts, among others.
- EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING: USDA’s Decision to Relocate Research Agencies to Kansas City Was Not Fully Consistent with an Evidence-Based Approach
-GAO-22-104540, April 2022 - Agency Relocations: Following Leading Practices Will Better Position USDA to Mitigate the Ongoing Impacts on Its Workforce
–GAO-23-104709, April 2022 - Army Corps of Engineers: Better Data and Planning Needed to Combat Aquatic Invasive Species
– GAO-24-105960, November 2023 - Aquatic Invasive Species: Additional Steps Could Help Measure Federal Progress in Achieving Strategic Goals
–GAO-16-49, November 2015 - Two USDA Agencies Can Enhance Safeguards against Project Duplication and Strengthen Collaborative Planning
–GAO-13-255, Apr 12, 2013 - Scientific Integrity: EPA’s Efforts to Enhance the Credibility and Transparency of Its Scientific Processes
– GAO-09-444T, June, 2009
– Highlights - Wildland Fire Management: Actions by Federal Agencies and Congress Could Mitigate Rising Fire Costs and Their Effects on Other Agency Programs
– GAO-09-444T, April, 2009 - Endangered Species Act: Many GAO Recommendations Have Been Implemented, but Some Issues Remain Unresolved
– GAO-09-225R, December, 2008 - Federal Land Management: Use of Stewardship Contracting Is Increasing, but Agencies Could Benefit from Better Data and Contracting Strategies
– GAO-09-23, November, 2008
– Highlights - Genetically Engineered Crops: Agencies Are Proposing Changes to Improve Oversight, but Could Take Additional Steps to Enhance Coordination and Monitoring
– GAO-09-60, November, 2008
– Highlights - Natural Resource Management: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Federal Participation in Collaborative Efforts to Reduce Conflicts and Improve Natural Resource Conditions
– GAO-08-262, February, 2008
– Highlights - Invasive Species: Cooperation and Coordination Are Important for Effective Management of Invasive Weeds
– GAO-05-185, February, 2005
– Highlights - Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Program: Management Problems May Increase Vulnerability of U.S. Agriculture to Foreign Pests and Diseases
– GAO-08-96T, October, 2007
– Highlights - Agricultural Conservation: Farm Program Payments Are an Important Factor in Landowners’ Decisions to Convert Grassland to Cropland
– GAO-07-1054, September, 2007
– Highlights - Prairie Pothole Region: At the Current Pace of Acquisitions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Is Unlikely to Achieve Its Habitat Protection Goals for Migratory Birds
– GAO-07-1093, September, 2007
– Highlights - Forest Service: Vegetation Management Projects Approved during Calendar Years 2003 through 2005 Using Categorical Exclusions
– GAO-07-1016T, June, 2007
– Highlights - Agricultural Conservation: USDA Should Improve Its Management of Key Conservation Programs to Ensure Payments Promote Environmental Goals
– GAO-07-370T, January 17, 2007
– Highlights - USDA Conservation Programs: Stakeholder Views on Participation and Coordination to Benefit Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitats
– GAO-07-35, November, 2006
– Highlights