Agricultural Resource Management Specialists
Agricultural Resource Management Specialists (ARMS) are the field enforcement agents for the PHARM Division. These Specialists enforce the state laws and regulations that pertain to Feed, Seed, Fertilizer, and Pesticide Programs.
Agent Territory Map with Contact Info
The Vermont Regulations for the Control of Pesticides is a set of rules that regulates the sales, use and distribution of pesticides in Vermont. The use of a pesticide under these regulations is defined as any handling, release or exposure of a pesticide to humans or the environment, including, but not limited to mixing, loading, application, transportation, storage, disposal and recommendation of an economic poison as defined in 6VSA Chapter 87. The Field Agents enforce these regulations through compliance assistance, routine record inspections, facility and use inspections, pesticide applicator training and recertification, as well as use/misuse investigations. The Agents are also required to satisfy EPA required partnership agreements by conducting FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act) and WPS (Worker Protection Standard) related training, inspections and investigations.
Pesticide Complaints
To register complaints about the use or sale of pesticides, please contact the Agrichemical & Plant Industry Division at 802-461-7160 or electronically. It is very important that you call as soon as possible and provide as many details as you can in order for us to initiate an investigation.
Enforcement and Compliance
The Secretary is charged with enforcing the provisions of Chapter 87: Control of Pesticides. The Pesticide Programs have the ability to issue Cease and Desist Orders (CDO), Letters of Warning (LOW), Corrective Action Letters (CAL), and Notices of Violation (NOV), in addition to other enforcement actions and remedies, in order to gain compliance with the rules and regulations governing the Program. NOVs carry a monetary penalty in addition to requiring corrective action. Please consult the Administrative Penalty Matrix and Guidance Form below in order to see how a penalty is assessed.