Public Comment Regarding Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement; Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program (July 2026)

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) authorizes and funds the use of insecticides to kill grasshoppers and Mormon crickets across 17 western states each year. This program poses risk for native pollinators, water quality and broader biodiversity.

Following a successful lawsuit by the Xerces Society and our partners, APHIS now must write a new management plan to rethink its pesticide-centered approach for grasshopper management to include more ecologically responsible management options.

The Xerces Society invites all to sign our letter asking for better approach. APHIS must:

• End spraying on sensitive public lands
• Support prevention-based activities that reduce grasshopper severity
• Impose comprehensive protections for western rivers and streams
• Increase transparency, notification, and engagement