Heather Hughes

NH Fish and Game classifies pesticides as a threat not only to wildlife, but also to their habitats and to our entire ecosystem. From the NH State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP): Pesticides are a significant conservation concern. The SWAP classifies them as pollution under the threat category “Agricultural and forestry effluents / Herbicides & pesticides.” The SWAP documents that pesticide use contributes to direct wildlife mortality, particularly among insects and other invertebrates (including impacts from neonicotinoids), and to habitat degradation through runoff, especially in streams, wetlands, and other aquatic systems. The plan's threat summaries describe herbicides and pesticides as among the most commonly identified threats to New Hampshire’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need, underscoring pesticide pollution as a statewide issue affecting both species and ecosystems. Please vote to prohibit the sale of certain agricultural seeds treated with neonicotinoids. Thank you!