Received this on Bombus-L the other day. Thought it would be of interest
here.
George-
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George Fergusson
Whitefield Maine
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [BOMBUS-L] Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 Introduced
into the Senate
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 09:20:08 -0700
From: Matthew Shepherd (Xerces Society) <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
For immediate Release
Date: May 24, 2007
Contacts: Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director Xerces Society:
503-449-3792 [log in to unmask]
Brandon Willis, Aide to Senator Baucus: (202-224-6350)
[log in to unmask]
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 Introduced into the Senate
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) along with
28 other co-sponsors introduced the Pollinator Protection Act of 2007
into the Senate today. This bill allows existing conservation programs
to provide enhanced habitat for pollinators.
The European honey bee is -- and will continue to be -- the most
important single crop pollinator in the United States. However, with the
decline in the number of managed honey bee colonies from diseases,
parasitic mites, and Africanized bees - as well as from Colony Collapse
Disorder - it is important to increase the use of native bees in our
agricultural system as well. Providing habitat for these pollinators is
vital to this effort.
The Pollinator Protection Act of 2007 is aimed at improving habitat and
food sources for pollinators. This bill utilizes existing Farm Bill
conservation programs to strengthen both native and managed pollinator
habitat. It does not cost additional money, or create a new program. It
simply requires existing conservation programs to acknowledge pollinator
habitat as a conservation resource and rewards producers whose
conservation practices are beneficial for pollinators.
This bill can help to improve crop security and the sustainability of
agriculture, by helping farmers in the United States diversity their
pollinator portfolio said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of
the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The Pollinator
Protection Act of 2007 will provide incentives to encourage farmers to
improve habitat for both native and managed pollinators.
Hundreds of species of native bees are available for crop pollination.
Research from across the country demonstrates that a wide range of
native bees help with crop pollination, in some cases providing all of
the pollination required. These free, unmanaged bees provide a valuable
service, estimated recently by scientists from the Xerces Society and
Cornell University to be worth $3 billion annually in the U.S.
"Almost all of our pollination eggs are in the honey bee basket," says
Mace Vaughan, conservation director of the Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation. "The Pollinator Protection Act of 2007 will
put habitat on the ground for bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees,
squash bees, sunflower bees, miner bees, and also support honey bees.
This bill strengthens and adds pollinator baskets for agriculture."
Pollinator Protection Act of 2007
Conserving Americas pollinators will require economic incentives for
private landowners. On October 18, 2006, the National Academy of
Sciences released the report Status of Pollinators in North America,
which called attention to the decline of pollinators. Prepared by a
National Research Council (NRC) committee, the report made several
recommendations including urging the federal government to fund
pollinator conservation through Farm Bill conservation and research
programs.
The bill would create incentives for farmers to protect, restore and
enhance pollinator habitat on and around farms. Pollinator Protection
Act of 2007 would encourage state-level Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to promote
scientifically tested and approved pollinator-friendly practices for
farmers participating in Farm Bill conservation programs.
Fully integrating native pollinators into Farm Bill programs can have a
wide impact. For example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) allocated over $1 billion in financial and technical assistance
to farmers in 2006, and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) retired
over 36 million acres of farmland, 4.5 million of which was specifically
for wildlife habitat that could be tailored to provide the greatest
benefit for pollinators.
Importance of Protecting Pollinators
Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service
they provide is important for the reproduction of nearly 75 percent of
the worlds flowering plants. This includes more than two-thirds of
the worlds crop species, and one in three mouthfuls of the food that we
eat. The United States alone grows more than one hundred crops that
either require or benefit from pollinators.
Beyond agriculture, native pollinators are keystone species in most
terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination
are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of birds, and
of mammals ranging from deer mice to grizzly bears.
Why are native bees so helpful? Collectively, native bees are more
versatile than honey bees. Some species, such as mason bees, are active
when conditions are too cold or wet for honey bees. Many species also
are simply more efficient at moving pollen between flowers. Bumble bees
and several other native species can buzz pollinate flowers - vibrating
the flower to release pollen from deep inside the pollen-bearing anthers
- which honey bees cannot do. Crops such as tomatoes, cranberries, and
blueberries produce larger, more abundant fruit when buzz pollinated.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international
non-profit organization that protects the diversity of life through the
conservation of invertebrates. The Society advocates for invertebrates
and their habitats by working with scientists, land managers, educators,
and citizens on conservation and education projects. Its core programs
focus on endangered species, native pollinators, and watershed health.
For more information on pollinator conservation go to: www.xerces.org
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act 2007 Cosponsors
Sponsor: Baucus, Max- (D - MT)
1. Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
2. Grassley, Chuck- (R - IA)
3. Landrieu, Mary L.- (D - LA)
4. Nelson, Bill- (D - FL)
5. Isakson, Johnny- (R - GA)
6. Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
7. Casey, Robert P., Jr.- (D - PA)
8. Dorgan, Byron L.- (D - ND)
9. Feinstein, Dianne- (D - CA)
10 Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D - NY)
11. Brown, Sherrod- (D - OH)
12. Harkin, Tom- (D - IA)
13. Kerry, John F.- (D - MA)
14. Allard, Wayne (R-CO)
15. Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
16. Byrd, Robert C.- (D - WV)
17. Thune, John- (R - SD)
18. Boxer, Barbara- (D - CA)
19. Tester, Jon- (D - MT)
20. Feingold, Russell D.- (D - WI)
21. Sanders, Bernard- (I - VT)
22. Snowe, Olympia J.- (R - ME)
23. Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
24 Nelson, E. Benjamin- (D - NE)
25. Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
26. Salazar, Ken- (D - CO)
27 Crapo, Mike- (R - ID)
28. Stabenow, Debbie- (D - MI)
29. Conrad, Kent- (D - ND)
______________________________________________________
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that
protects the diversity of life through invertebrate conservation. To
join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work,
please visit www.xerces.org.
Matthew Shepherd
Director, Pollinator Conservation Program
4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________
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