The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a significant step toward protecting endangered and threatened (“ESA-listed”) species by opening its core mapping process to the public. This initiative allows anyone — farmers, pesticide applicators, researchers, conservationists and concerned citizens — to be part of a crucial step in the process that identifies geographic areas where additional pesticide mitigation is required to protect populations of ESA-listed species. When EPA determines that additional mitigations are required for a given pesticide, those are communicated through Bulletins on EPA’s website, known as Bulletins Live! Two (BLT). For pesticide labels that have instructions to access BLT, this must be done at least six months before making an application and documented. Bulletins contain Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs), which are based on core maps.
Core maps delineate geographic areas that are important to the conservation of ESA-listed species and are relevant to pesticide mitigations. The process to develop and submit an interim core map to the EPA is outlined in EPA’s process document. It consists of collecting information on species locations and occurrences; researching species biological information such as their foraging range, preferred soil type and elevation; identifying the core map type; and using spatial data and tools such as GIS to delineate these areas.
Previously, the responsibility of developing core maps fell into the hands of agency personnel and specific stakeholders who had the training and expertise to create core maps.
Opening Core Maps to the Public:
As a result of a sense of urgency at the agency to get maps developed — and feedback from stakeholders related to the need to better define where pesticide mitigations are needed to protect ESA-listed species — the EPA has now made its core mapping process and tools accessible to everyone. Through an online portal, users who are compelled to work on maps can check out a species on the EPA website then begin to view, search and analyze biological and spatial data related to the chosen species following EPA’s process document.
Both the Missouri and federal soybean checkoff prioritized core map development for species that are in areas with row-crop production, and Missouri Soybeans reserved the species relevant to Missouri. We’ve partnered with Compliance Services International to develop core maps.
Virginia Sneezeweed was the first specifies developed in collaboration with Missouri Soybeans, United Soybean Board and Compliance Services International (CSI). These partners then submitted an interim core map to the EPA.
Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum) is a state and federally threatened perennial herb primarily found in sinkhole ponds and wet meadows of the Ozark Highlands. Due to its restricted habitat, the species is especially vulnerable to changes in hydrology, land development and invasive species. The current range of the map from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Virginia sneezeweed is 5.7 million acres.
After applying the first steps in EPA’s core mapping process, the interim core map spanned 15,815 acres. After CSI’s diligent work to refine the area relevant to conservation of the species and relevant to pesticide mitigations, the resulting interim core map for the Virginia sneezeweed covers only 327 acres, significantly reducing the area of potential impact to soybean growers compared to the range.
The EPA’s decision to open its core mapping for endangered and threatened species marks a transformative moment in environmental protection and pesticide management. By granting public participation in this process and to vital tools, the agency empowers all stakeholders to play a direct role in safeguarding America’s natural heritage while ensuring the safe and sustainable use of pesticides.
As of November 2025, EPA had prioritized core map development for 500 species, of which EPA has published 111 interim core maps. These interim core maps have been developed by individuals, entities, pesticide registrants and the EPA itself. At Missouri Soybeans, it’s a priority to be involved in the actions impacting our growers.
