11. Public Access to the Data

Back to Overview of Pesticide Use Reporting

Annually, DPR publishes two versions of the Statewide Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data. DPR's target date for release of the data summaries is July of the succeeding year. These data summaries include a brief narrative overview and a breakdown of pounds of pesticide use, one volume indexed by chemical and the second by commodity. These summary reports may be purchased in print or on floppy disk, or may be downloaded from DPR's external home page at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

However, this summary document represents only a fraction of the total data gathered under full use reporting. The full database provides a much more accurate and complete picture for in-depth analytical purposes. The full database and supporting documentation can be purchased on CD-ROM for all years beginning with the 1990 data. The CD-ROM is available with the data in one of two formats: ASCII text or arc interchange (.e00 extension). A third CD-ROM with spatial representation of statewide Public Land Survey System sections is also available; when linked with the pesticide use data, this third CD-ROM makes spatial display and analysis possible.

In addition, requests can be made for specific data, such as all reports for one county, one commodity, specific section-township-range, in any combination of data fields.

To improve use of the PUR as an analytical tool, DPR is surveying county agricultural commissioners on their PUR implementation practices from 1990 to 1999. DPR will use the survey data and other information to analyze implementation issues and practices within the counties as well as any changes counties adopted to deal with issues such as the issuance of site IDs. Survey results are expected to be published in 2000.