Issues - Pollinator health and protection

Pollinators are vital components of natural and agricultural ecosystems, contributing to the fruit and seed production of nearly 90% of flowering plant species, including almost 3/4 of our major agricultural crops. Recently, pollinator health has captured the public's interest in ways that many scientific topics to not. Pollinator health is one of ESA's most active advocacy issues. To review a list of all recent advocacy activities chronologically, please see this page, or the Science Policy Newsletter.

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ESA Offers to Provide Beekeeping Advice to Vice President's Wife (August 10, 2017)
President Susan Weller wrote a letter to Second Lady Karen Pence after her announcement of installing a beehive at her residence. The letter was timed to coincide with National Honey Bee Day on August 19. In the letter ESA offered to serve as a resource for the Pence's hive in addition to providing encouragement and support for the Second Lady's previous statements about the importance of protecting pollinators.

ESA Provides Comments on the National Monitoring Plan for Native Bees (July 6, 2017)
In June, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture requested input on behalf of its Pollinator Health Working Group on strategies for monitoring native bees in the United States. Comments were required to address why a national monitoring plan for native bees is important, what kind of information/data is needed, and how such information would be used. ESA submitted comments, noting the potentially significant economic impact of the loss of wild pollinators and recommending the support of research on bee nutrition, systematics and classification of native bees, land use, and the effect of pesticides, among other subjects.

ESA Applauds White House Pollinator Health Task Force Plan (June 19, 2015)
ESA celebrates National Pollinator Week and applauds the recent publication of the White House Pollinator Health Task Force's National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators (Strategy). The Strategy and accompanying Pollinator Research Action Plan (Plan) outlines a multi-faceted approach, along with specific timeline and metrics, to address the myriad of issues plaguing bees and other pollinator populations.

ESA Comments to the Pollinator Health Task Force (November 24, 2014)
ESA would welcome the chance to partner with the Pollinator Health Task Force and would like to offer assistance with the release and implementation of the Strategy next year.

ESA Letter to Deputy Secretary Harden on the Pollinator Health Task Force (September 15, 2014)
ESA, along with other organizations and experts in the field, would welcome a chance to provide comments, feedback, and suggestions on the Plan as it develops.

ESA Applauds President’s Pollinator Health Strategy (June 25, 2014)
ESA recently applauded President Obama’s Presidential Memorandum: Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, which was released last month.

ESA Testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (April 4, 2014)
ESA submitted this statement for the official record in support of funding for agricultural research at the USDA, increased investment in the ARS, and additional research on pollinators through USDA contributions to a multi-agency Pollinator Health Initiative.