> You bill yourself as the "thoughtful beekeeper", so why not think this 
> through a bit?

Thank you Jim.  I do prefer to think, rather than spew.  Indeed, my keyboard 
doesn't even have a "shred" function, nor even a "pointing the finger" key!

I highly respect your knowledge of the bee business, and your logical mind. 
Unfortunately, sometimes I'm not sure if your posts are based in fact, or 
upon which side of the bed you got up on! : )

I've spoken to people who were at the hearings, and who have spent time with 
the congresspersons and staff involved.  I also have a call into Congressman 
Hastings staffer, and expect a reply today.

In short, the impression that I get from speaking to those who actually 
know, is that most congresspeople don't have a clue about the bee industry's 
importance in agriculture, nor the problems we face.  We as an industry have 
very little clout in Washington.  In reality, the native pollinator people 
hardly hopped onto our coattails--on the contrary, they have a funded 
lobbyist who has greatly aided the beekeeping industry!

I just received a note from a major player in our industry on this issue 
(I'm not quoting him by name, since I haven't asked him permission):

Hello Randy,
   The native pollinator supporters have been tremendous HELP.  They
are responsible for organizing the hearing this past week on the
importance of protecting pollinators, including bees, to ensure
adequate wildlife habitat.  The North American Pollinator Protection
Campaign (NAPPC) and the Co-Evolution Istitute have actually recruited
as many or more co-sponsors for the Bee Research Legislation and
Habitat protection legislation as the honey bee organizations and
their members have - at least so far.
   ...The other witnesses also
said good things that will benefit honey bees and native pollinators.
Also attached is the Blumenauer pollinator habitat protecion bill
filed late Thursday.
   If you can get your Congressional Rep to co-sponsor this, and the
Hastings bill (funding for CCD and other bee and pollinator research,
HR 1709) then that would be great.
Take care,
xxxxxx

So Jim, now that you've bitten the hand that's feeding us, what next?  The 
native pollinator people have read your (and Kim Flottam's) dissing of them. 
I hope that they realize that your personal vendetta doesn't necessarily 
reflect the views of informed beekeepers.

To the Xerces Society, let me publicly say THANKS for your help!


> So we still need the funding, just to find out if it is "natural".

On this point, we are in agreement.  The native pollinator people are 
helping us in a big way to obtain this funding.

> If so, how would also funding UNRELATED research on "native bees" make it 
> any more palatable to those who would think funding work on the clear and 
> present danger at hand was a "waste"?

Jim, Xerces did indeed add verbiage, but it was to the purpose of adding 
support to the bill, not taking away!  (Jim, how can you take away from 
nothing!  There is nothing, unless the bill passes).  Farmers don't give a 
diddly squat about beekeepers--what they care about is pollination, no 
matter who does it.  Any "clear and present danger" in their eyes is simply 
a potential lack of pollinators of any stripe.  That is, if there is any 
real "clear and present danger" (didn't you suggest out of the other side of 
your mouth that CCD might disappear?).
And what in the world makes you think that research on native bees would be 
unrelated to honeybees?  If CCD is a natural phenomenon, it may well be 
affecting them as well!

The staffers say that no one in the bee industry is talking to them.  They 
are hungry for information, and really want to help us.  Every beekeeper 
should be contacting their representatives, asking the government to aid our 
industry with good research funding, pesticide regulation, and habitat 
protection.

> there are those who feel that CCD is a natural phenomenon that will likely 
> recur, and then "disappear" again.
> Funny, I'm the one who mentioned that possibility first.
> http://bee-quick.com/reprints/serial_killer.pdf (Bee Culture, June 07.)

I hate to spoil the music when one is tooting their vainglorious horn, but 
this idea hardly occurred to you first...do you often wake up both irritable 
and delusional at the same time?

> I stand by each and every one of my prior statements.

Then I suggest that the beekeeping industry not stand with you.  Instead, we 
should contact our representatives, and ask them to work hand in hand with 
the native pollinator people to provide funding for more habitat 
conservation incentives (not penalties), and bee research of all kinds.  If 
CCD has a nutritional factor involved, the set aside forage acreage would be 
of great benefit to all species.  Ditto with pesticide issues.  Jim, we 
likely have more in common with native pollinators than has occurred to you. 
I doubt that you have any good recipes for crow, but perhaps the rest of us 
could help the hard-working native pollinator people for helping us in this 
time of need!

Randy Oliver
Thinking 

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