In late August experts in water quality and pesticides met in Portland, OR at the Water, Wildlife, and Pesticides in the West Symposium. The event was hosted by the Western IPM Center and brought together a diverse group of over 80 people concerned about pesticide use and water quality. The two-day event covered the themes of water quality, endangered species, and reduce-risk integrated pest management (IPM). One of the main objectives of IPM is to decrease the use of pesticides in the environment. Pesticides are toxic and may enter streams, lakes, or the environment either directly or indirectly. This symposium was designed to help address issues from the broad perspectives of research, extension and outreach, best management practices (BMPs), endangered species, invasive species, and urban pesticide use. One of the unique facets of this symposium was the use of the panels of experts tied with immediate break out sessions where the participants could discuss with the speakers the issues brought up at the session. Some of the issues addressed were: Ronda Hirynck, Gene Foster, Annie Joseph, Dusty Eddy, Bob Mahler, and Wayne Newbill (l to r) sit on the panel. Why are we finding pesticides in our waters and what can we do about it? If you detect pesticides in the stream, is it a problem? What is the highest water quality priority in your local area? What do water quality data mean to landowners, the public, the agencies, and the press? What would get solutions more widely adopted that keep pesticides out of water in both agricultural and urban settings? What long-term processes can we develop to address resource problems while minimizing impacts to communities throughout the Klamath Basin? How can the regulatory, environmental, and agricultural communities work together more effectively to solve difficult environmental resource issues? What needs to be done to make progress on invasive species issues while still protecting endangered and threatened species habitat? How can government encourage incentives to the private sector to adopt IPM practices that minimize adverse impacts on water quality?

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/index.html University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Michael Cochrane: 360-392-4299 mcochrane@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension System (CSREES). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration; and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	How do we make alternatives to pesticides economically viable to the producer? Are public policy changes needed to look at risk to aquatic organisms in a different way and if so, what kind? A summary of the discussions from these breakout sessions and information on the symposium will be available at the Western IPM Center's web site at http://www.wripmc.org. Dan Kent, Frank Zalom, and Jonathan Kaplan (l to r) sit on the panel.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension System. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	CSREES is the Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service, a sub-agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and is the federal partner in this water quality program.

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