Trump Administration Lifts Biden-Era Ban on M-44 Sodium Cyanide Devices on Public Lands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that, under the Trump administration, the ban it imposed in February 2024 on M-44 sodium cyanide pesticide devices was lifted after an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services. The change removes the prohibition set during the Biden administration and permits future deployment of M-44 devices on BLM-managed public lands.

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The BLM imposed the ban in February 2024. In December 2019, the EPA revised guidance on federal sodium cyanide use, increasing required distances from residences, paths, and roads and expanding warning-sign requirements. Idaho, Oregon, California, and Washington already ban or restrict sodium cyanide, limiting the rule’s impact. In 2025, Congress introduced “Canyon’s Law” in both chambers, named after Canyon Mansfield, whose 2014 dog Kasey died after cyanide exposure. The bill seeks to prohibit M-44 use federally but had not passed as of this writing.

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Key actors are the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which lifted the ban; APHIS Wildlife Services, which uses M-44 devices and negotiated the agreement; the EPA, which set safety guidance; Canyon Mansfield, whose 2014 dog Kasey died from cyanide exposure, prompting a 2020 settlement admitting federal negligence; and congressional sponsors of “Canyon’s Law.”

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APHIS reported 27,629 sodium cyanide capsules used annually from FY2011-2015. In that period the agency recorded 13,959 targeted takes (coyotes, red and gray foxes, wild or feral dogs), 362 non-targeted takes, and 9,757 unknown takes. Overall, about 24,078 animals were killed each year with M-44 devices. In calendar year 2015 the agency killed or euthanized 3.2 million animals, making cyanide-related deaths less than 1 % of the total.

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The BLM website now displays a red banner indicating the policy is inactive. The agency has not approved new M-44 uses on public lands, but the BLM-APHIS agreement effectively removed the prior ban. EPA’s 2019 guidance increased required distances from residences, public paths, and roads and expanded warning-sign requirements for any future deployments.

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Opponents cite the 2020 settlement in which the federal government admitted negligence for the death of Canyon Mansfield’s dog. “Canyon’s Law” was introduced to block federal M-44 use, reflecting concerns about non-target wildlife mortality and public safety. State bans in Idaho, Oregon, California, and Washington could limit any federal deployment.

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• “By May 19, 2026, the webpage about the ban included a red banner reading, "This Policy is Inactive.” — BLM website banner

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• “representatives and senators introduced "Canyon's Law" in both the House and Senate in 2025, which aimed to prohibit the use of M-44s at the federal level.” — Title of the 2025 federal bill introduced in the House and Senate

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The BLM-APHIS agreement permits future M-44 use, though no new deployments have been authorized yet. Congressional action on “Canyon’s Law” remains pending, and state bans in Idaho, Oregon, California, and Washington could limit any federal deployment. The policy shift therefore creates the possibility of renewed use on BLM-managed lands.

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