Quote from Ag Secretary Johanns, from his remarks to the Pollinating 
Partners Celebration Ceremony and Release of a New U.S. Stamp Washington 
D.C. - June 29, 2007 
(http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2007/06/0189.xml):

"The honeybee population is absolutely critical to agricultural production, 
and 90 percent of our apples and blueberries are pollinated by honeybees. 
Nearly half our peach crop depends on them, and more than 25 percent of our 
orange production. CCD is a significant problem, and it's affecting bees in 
35 states. It is characterized by a rapid loss of adult worker bees. Intact 
stores of pollen and honey are left in the colony but few or no dead bees 
can be found.

In the six months between September of '06 and March of this year, some 
beekeepers reported losses in their colonies as high as 80 to 100 percent. 
If left unchecked, Colony Collapse Disorder has the potential to cause a $15 
billion direct loss of crop production and $75 billion in indirect losses. "



Just to let the List know that the native pollinator people have not totally 
bamboozled the Secretary.

He can be emailed at 
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?edeployment_action=changenav&navid=FEEDBACK_FORM

Randy Oliver

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