NPMA

The National Pest Management Association recently established the Legal and Regulatory Defense Fund to fight pending Endangered Species Act (ESA) litigation and future legal and administrative challenges. Our first fundraising event for the Fund is a silent auction that will take place at our final night banquet Saturday, Oct. 22 in conjunction with Pestworld 2011 in New Orleans. We ask that you help us in this important initiative by donating worthwhile items to put up for bidding so we can build the Fund to a respectable level and more aggressively defend and protect the industry from attack.

As you likely know, the pending ESA litigation threatens the future availability of most pesticides used by the professional pest management industry. Filed by the activist group Center for Biological Diversity supposedly to better safeguard 214 endangered species in 49 states, the lawsuit alleges that more than 300 pesticides - including most rodenticides and termiticides - were registered or reregistered in violation of ESA. Specifically, the suit seeks to deregister these products until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formally consults with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, the two agencies charged with implementing and enforcing ESA.

NPMA has retained legal representation for the pending ESA case but, as you know, such costs can be exorbitant and unpredictable. Therefore, it is paramount that we build up the Fund to a point where we will be assured of a strong legal presence throughout the legal process. Please know that your generous donation of an auction item will go directly toward helping the professional pest management industry to preserve the continued use of lawfully registered pesticides.

To contribute to this important cause, contact Justin Gomes of NPMA's staff by Oct. 5 to arrange donation of an auction gift. You can reach Justin by email at jgomes@pestworld.org or by calling (800) 678-6722. We would like to ask that the auction gift have a minimum value of $100. Some of the suggested categories include art/jewelry, electronics, sporting events/memorabilia, vacations and wine/liquor.

Thanks in advance for contributing to this very important industry cause.