Pesticides Control Board

What Pesticides Control Board does

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC), commonly referenced as the Pesticides Control Board, is a state government regulatory agency operating under the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF). Headquartered at 18 Elkins Lane in Augusta, Maine with a staff of approximately 21, the Board is the sole statutory authority for pesticide regulation within the state. Its mandate covers pesticide product registration, applicator and distributor licensing, water quality monitoring, indoor application standards (Chapter 26), public notification registries, municipal ordinance coordination, and a voluntary pesticide container recycling program operated in partnership with the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) since 1991.

The Board's core technology consists of regulatory workflow systems rather than a commercial product suite. These include the BPC Online Portal (a Pega-based system for product registration and company profile management), the Maine Pesticide Education and Reporting (MEPERLS) system for applicator training and reporting, the CSF Submission Portal for label submissions, and integration with Purdue University's National Pesticide Information Retrieval System (NIAPSPublic) to power public search of Maine-registered products. The Board maintains annual product registries covering thousands of registered pesticides, restricted-use rodenticides (SGARs), and Tebuthiuron-restricted products.

The Board does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through pesticide product registration fees, applicator licensing fees, and distributor licensing fees as authorized by Maine statute, supplemented by state appropriations. LD 8 (131st Legislature) proposes increasing annual registration fees to fund modernization. Key stakeholders include licensed pesticide applicators, pesticide registrants and distributors, Maine municipalities adopting local ordinances (30+ to date), and the general public served through pest identification, water quality, and IPM resources. Recent activity includes ongoing collaboration with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on PFAS consumption advisories, container recycling infrastructure expansion, and legislative review of Chapter 41 (LD 2189).

Name

Pesticides Control Board

Legal name

Board of Pesticides Control

Website

https://thinkfirstspraylast.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control is a state regulatory agency under the Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry that administers pesticide product registration, applicator and distributor licensing, water quality monitoring, and municipal ordinance support for pesticide use within Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pesticide Regulation Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAFAG

Pesticide & Agricultural Chemical Health Regulators

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Environmental & Occupational Health Regulators

SECONDARYHLAJAFAJ

Environmental Health Inspections & Code Enforcement (Housing/Sanitation/Vector Control)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Environmental & Occupational Health Regulators

SECONDARYHLAJAFAI

Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Regulators (Medical/Industrial)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Environmental & Occupational Health Regulators

Keywords

• Pesticide regulation services
• Applicator licensing
• Pesticide product registration
• Environmental health protection
• Integrated pest management

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Board regulates the distribution, sale, and use of pesticides within the State of Maine through four core service lines: (1) pesticide product registration and maintenance of the annual registered products lists; (2) certification and licensing of commercial pesticide applicators and distributors, including continuing education credits; (3) environmental and water quality monitoring programs, including indoor application standards under Chapter 26; and (4) public education, IPM resources, the non-agricultural pesticide notification registry, and the voluntary plastic pesticide container recycling program operated with the Ag Container Recycling Council.

Product overview

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control operates as a regulatory agency within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. It does not offer a commercial software product; rather, it provides regulatory services including pesticide product registration, applicator licensing, distributor licensing, water quality monitoring, and public education resources. The portfolio consists of administrative and compliance services accessible through web portals, downloadable documents, and in-person services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pesticide Product Registration Registration and ongoing maintenance of approved pesticide products for sale and use in Maine, including annual registered pesticide lists, restricted-use product lists (SGAR rodenticides and Tebuthiuron), adjuvant registrations, and 24(c) special needs registrations. Provided to pesticide registrants and distributors operating in Maine.
• Applicator Licensing Certification and licensing program for pesticide applicators in Maine (commercial, agricultural, and structural), including license renewal management and continuing education credits tracked through the MEPERLS system. Provided to professional pesticide applicators.
• Distributor Licensing Licensing program for businesses that distribute pesticides in Maine. Provided to pesticide distribution companies.
• Water Quality Program Monitoring and regulatory program addressing pesticide impacts on Maine's water resources. Provided to Maine municipalities, water utilities, and the general public.
• Pesticide Container Recycling Program Voluntary recycling program for plastic pesticide containers, operated in partnership with the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC), with facilities in Dexter and Frenchville, Maine. Provided to pesticide applicators, dealers, and agricultural users in Maine.
• Chapter 26 Standards for Indoor Pesticide Applications Regulatory program establishing procedures and standards (including notification requirements) for indoor pesticide applications in licensed childcare facilities, governmental, commercial, and institutional buildings, condominiums, and rented residential buildings in Maine. Provided to indoor pesticide applicators and building managers.
• Non-Agricultural Pesticide Notification Registry Registry allowing Maine residents to subscribe for advance notice of non-agricultural pesticide applications in their area. Provided to Maine residents and homeowners.
• Got Pests? Resource Portal Public education portal helping Maine residents identify pests (insects, weeds, fungi, rodents, microorganisms), learn about beneficial organisms, and access Integrated Pest Management solutions. Provided to Maine homeowners, gardeners, and residents.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Non-profit organization working with the Board since 1991 to develop a voluntary recycling program for plastic pesticide containers. The program collects containers throughout the growing season, bales them at transfer stations, and sells recycled materials for non-consumer products like drainage tiles, railroad ties, pallets, fence posts, and speed bumps.
• Maine Resource Recovery AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState organization collaborating with the Board and ACRC to develop infrastructure for container recycling in eastern and southern Maine regions. Working to expand the recycling program beyond Dexter and Frenchville locations.
• Purdue University National Pesticide Information Retrieval SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the Search Maine Registered Products database through NIAPSPublic system integration, allowing public search of Maine-registered pesticide products.
• Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on game management and wildlife programs; partners with Maine Warden Service and state biologists on Hunters for the Hungry program. Also coordinates on PFAS-related consumption advisories affecting hunters.
• Maine Department of Health and Human ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborates with Drinking Water Program on reviewing Integrated Pest Management and Nutrient Management plans for municipal ordinances in aquifer protection districts.
• University of Maine Cooperative ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides IPM resources and pest identification services for Maine homeowners; referenced as key resource for integrated pest management information and Master Gardener programs.
• Maine Integrated Pest Management CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-agency council promoting integrated pest management practices statewide; policy partner in minimizing reliance on pesticides.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR): California's state-level pesticide regulatory agency responsible for product registration, applicator licensing, and use oversight. Direct functional analog to Maine BPC, operating at much larger scale and offering the closest comparison point for regulatory structure and digital licensing systems.
• Washington State Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Program: Washington's state pesticide registration and licensing authority. Comparable in mandate (product registration, applicator licensing, enforcement) and in its emphasis on IPM and water quality protection — directly analogous to Maine BPC's portfolio.
• Texas Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Program: Texas's state pesticide regulatory program covering applicator licensing, product registration, and compliance. Comparable functions with much larger agricultural footprint, useful as an upper-bound scale benchmark for state pesticide program operations.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - Pesticide Program: New York's state pesticide regulation program housed within the environmental agency rather than agriculture, reflecting a different organizational placement but parallel scope: registration, applicator certification, and use restrictions, with similar water-quality and pollinator concerns.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Pesticide Section: Florida's state agency administering pesticide applicator licensing and product registration. Comparable in regulatory functions — licensing exams, CE credits, product registration, enforcement — and useful as a benchmark for high-volume state operations.
• Oregon Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Program: Oregon's state pesticide regulatory program covering registration, applicator licensing, and enforcement. Closely comparable to Maine BPC in scope and regulatory mix, including water quality and IPM emphases common to the Pacific Northwest/New England regulatory style.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs: Federal-level pesticide regulator whose decisions define the universe of products states like Maine can register. Not a direct competitor (states retain primacy on use and licensing), but the broader incumbent that sets the baseline on which state boards operate.

Others

• AAPCO (Association of American Pesticide Control Officials): National association of state pesticide regulatory officials. Not a regulator but the convening body that supports state boards like Maine BPC with model laws, training, and inter-state coordination on pesticide registration and enforcement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MaineDACF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPTsseRNRcV6JAyqigpiUDQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/166287896733122
• Instagraminstagram.com/mainedacf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pesticides-control-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pesticides Control Board