District 3 Fall Newsletter

Dear Private Applicators, 

As we move into fall the MSU Pesticide Education Program wants to remind you to keep track of your pesticide license expiration date and pesticide education recertification credits. You can find out how many credits you have by contacting your local MSU Extension office or online at the MDA Pesticide License Search Tool. 

Remember, District 3 recertifies December 31, 2020 so you have just four months to get your six recertification credits. If you do not have the credits you need we highly recommend attending the 2020 Pest Management Tour detailed below.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed pesticide education for the foreseeable future. At this time online and in-person testing is available for obtaining a Montana Private Applicator license. Please contact your local PAT Coordinator to get details on what is available in your area. In-person programs are allowed with COVID-19 precautions in place which greatly limits the number of attendees. This is also dependent on local conditions in each county and tribe. 

Featured Program: 2020 Pest Management Tour

The 2020 Pest Management Tour is a last-chance opportunity for private applicators in District 3 to obtain three to six recertification credits prior to the December 31, 2020 license expiration date. This year is a little different than usual, but MSU PEP and Extension Agents in District 3 are doing our best to get you credit opportunities while complying with COVID-19 regulations. We will be offering two dates with in-person instruction and one day of a webinar available to applicators in their homes. Dates and locations are detailed below:

  • October 6 (In-person) locations: Fort Benton, Chester, Harlem, Havre, Conrad, Choteau
  • October 8 (In-person) locations: Conrad, Cutbank
  • October 9: Webinar

Registration is required for all events as seats are limited. Please view the event webpage for agendas and registration details. Each day has two sessions, each worth three private applicator credits. You can attend one session for three credits or the whole day for six credits. Commercial and government credits are also offered. 

New Paraquat Requirements

Paraquat is a non-selective herbicide used for managing many grass and broadleaf weeds, while also useful as a desiccant in select crops. All workers and/or handlers of paraquat products must follow new product label requirements including:

  1. mandatory online paraquat trainings, and
  2. must be a certified applicator to handle/apply.

See the MSU PEP news release for more information. Individuals using old stocks of paraquat do not need to follow these requirements if not on their pesticide product label.

Recertification Credits

The following list of private applicator events are hosted by various organizations in your district. Please use the provided contact information for each event to register and obtain more information. This list is not comprehensive and only represents a few currently approved courses. Courses are added as they are sent to the MDA for approval. Use the MDA Course Locator to search for more events.

  • 10/06/2020, Great Falls, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-454-6980 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Chouteau, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-622-3751 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Chester, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-759-5625 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Harlem, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-357-3200 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Havre, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-265-5481 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Conrad, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-271-4053 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Choteau, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-466-2492 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/08/2020, Conrad, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-271-4053 (3 and 6 credits)
  • 10/06/2020, Cut Bank, 2020 Pest Management Tour Session 1 and 2, 406-873-2239 (3 and 6 credits)

Over 100 online courses are available for private applicators through various different hosting organizations on many different topics. View our webpage Instructions on Using the MDA Course Locator Tool to find out how to search for online courses.

Recent Publications and News Updates

MSU Extension Resource: Horticultural Specialist Abiya (Abi) Saeed

Abi Saeed is the Extension Horticulture Associate Specialist for Montana State University. She assists home gardeners, commercial and private green industry professionals, and county and reservation extension offices with horticulture-related questions, concerns, and diagnostics pertaining to Montana. You can contact her at (406) 994-6523 or [email protected]. 

 

Private applicator District 3 recertification dates

 

Montana Private Applicator District 3 consists of the following counties and reservations in North Central Montana: Blackfeet Reservation, Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Fort Belknap Reservation, Glacier, Hill, Liberty, Pondera, Rocky Boy's Reservation, Teton and Toole. District 3's five-year recertification cycle expires on 12/31/2020. Applicators wishing to renew their license will need to obtain six recertification credits by this date. You can look up your current credits online, as well as look for currently available pesticide education courses.

 

MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program 
P.O. Box 172900 Bozeman, MT 59717-2900
406-994-5067 or 406-994-5178
[email protected]
pesticides.montana.edu

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