By Brad Kuhn

Colorado has an opportunity to take a smart, science-based step forward by passing the SEED Act, SB26-065. This legislation does not ban tools farmers rely on. It simply ensures that highly mobile, systemic pesticides are used when they are truly needed rather than applied automatically. In a state defined by water, agriculture, and ecological diversity, that kind of measured approach matters.

Water is Colorado’s lifeblood. It runs from our mountain snowpack into our rivers, across our farms, and through our communities. We protect it fiercely because once it is contaminated, the damage spreads far beyond the original source.

That is exactly why the conversation around neonicotinoid coated seeds deserves serious attention.

Neonicotinoids, commonly called neonics, are systemic insecticides used to coat most conventional corn seed planted in Colorado. They are designed to dissolve in water so they can be absorbed by the germinating plant and move through its tissues.

But that same property makes them mobile in the environment.

Neonics are highly water soluble. What the young plant does not absorb does not simply vanish. It moves through the soil. It leaches downward. It runs off during irrigation and rain events. It enters ditches, streams, and groundwater.

Multiple studies across the country have detected neonic residues in water at levels known to harm aquatic invertebrates. These small organisms are not minor players. They form the base of freshwater food webs, supporting fish, amphibians, and birds. When aquatic insect populations decline, the ripple effects move outward quickly.

This is not just a pollinator issue. It is a watershed issue.

In soil, neonics can persist for months or even years, depending on conditions. Because treated seed is planted year after year on the same acreage, residues can accumulate. Soil biology is complex and delicate. Microbes, fungi, beetles, and other beneficial organisms are essential to nutrient cycling and long term soil health. Introducing a systemic neurotoxin at scale, regardless of actual pest pressure, raises serious questions about long term resilience.

And then there are pollinators.

Colorado is home to more than a thousand native bee species, most of which are solitary and nest in the ground. When neonics move through soil and water, they do not stay confined to a single crop plant. They can show up in wildflowers, in dust during planting, and in nearby habitat. Even low levels of exposure have been associated with impaired navigation, reduced reproduction, and increased susceptibility to disease in bees.

What makes this especially concerning is that neonic seed coatings are often used prophylactically. Fields are treated by default, regardless of whether pest pressure is present or likely. The chemical is applied first, and the need is assumed.

The SEED Act offers a different path.

It does not ban neonics outright. It does not remove tools from farmers who genuinely need them. Instead, it creates a system that ties use to documented risk, restoring decision making to the field rather than the supply chain.

If a pesticide is highly water soluble, persistent, and capable of moving beyond its intended target, its use should be precise and justified. Automatic application across millions of acres does not meet that standard.

Protecting pollinators matters. But so does protecting soil biology, aquatic ecosystems, and the quality of Colorado’s water.

When chemicals do not stay put, neither do their consequences.

The SEED Act is a measured, science based step toward aligning pest management with long term environmental stewardship. In a state where water defines both our economy and our identity, supporting SB26-065 is not radical. It is responsible.

Brad Kuhn is founder of Finding Nectar Nursery in Arvada and advocate for pollinator habitat and environmental stewardship.