BEE CITY USA | An Initiative of the Xerces Society
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Mission & Values
      • Our History
      • Bee City Canada
      • Contact Us
  • Bee City USA
    • Current Bee Cities
    • What is a Bee City
    • Benefits to your community
    • FAQs-City
    • Application-City
    • Renewal-City
    • Annual Reports - City >
      • 2017 - City
      • 2018 - City
      • 2019 - City
  • Bee Campus USA
    • Current Bee Campuses
    • What is a Bee Campus
    • Benefits to your campus
    • FAQs - Campus
    • Application-Campus
    • Renewal-Campus
    • Annual Reports - Campus >
      • 2017 - Campus
      • 2018 - Campus
      • 2019 - Campus
  • Get Involved
    • Create Habitat
    • Donate
    • Supporters
  • About Pollinators
    • Why Conserve Pollinators
    • Pollinator Friendly Habitat
    • Identifying Pollinators
  • Resources
  • Media & News
    • Blog
    • Newsletter & Media
Picture

BLOG

Vertical Divider

The Endangered Species Act & Pollinators

9/16/2018

0 Comments

 
PicturePhoto of rusty-patched bumblebee: Clay Bolt
Remember when seven of the 60+ known yellow-faced bee species in Hawaii were added to the Endangered Species list in 2016, and the once common rusty-patched bumblebee was listed in 2017?

​Yellow-faced bees are Hawaii's only native bee species. As the primary pollinator of the naupaka, a beach shrub native to the islands, as they go, so goes the naupaka. 

​In both cases, arrows point to climate change, invasive plant species, habitat loss, diseases, parasites and pesticides as synergistic contributors to their demise. Nevertheless, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation biologists are hopeful that endangered status will strengthen plans to help the insects.

Recently we received promising news that rusty-patched bumblebees still inhabit the Eastern United States, at least in Virginia; and consequently, they could receive more protections in an effort to help the species rebound--IF the federal government continues to administer the Endangered Species Act.

According to Rich Hatfield, Senior Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society, "Since 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been at the forefront of species protection, placing the United States as a world leader in science-based conservation. The ESA is our nation’s most effective law for protecting animals and plants in danger of extinction, and has prevented 99 percent of listed species from going extinct. Despite how effective this law has been at its intended purpose, the current administration has its sights on weakening the ESA to the detriment of the species it was designed to protect."

John Muir said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." Which species is expendable?  While no one has the knowledge to answer that question, scientists consider biological diversity our best weapon again the impacts of climate change. Greater species numbers and larger population sizes give organisms more adaptability to survive.  

The comment period for the proposed changes to the ESA ends on September 24, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. You can let your federal legislators know that you support the Endangered Species Act.  Read Xerces blog on how here.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Header photo by: Nancy Lee Adamson
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Asheville
    Bee Campus USA
    Certified Bee Cities
    Donation To Bee City USA
    Events
    Honeybees
    Legislation
    News
    Non Honeybee Polllinators
    Non-Honeybee Polllinators
    Pesticides
    Research

    RSS Feed


    These are the opinions and events of interest to the Bee City USA coordinator and Xerces Society.

Bee City  USA Logo
Quick Links
   > What is a Bee City
   > What is a Bee Campus
   > Why Conserve Pollinators

   > Create Habitat
   ​> Blog & News
   > Pollinator Conservation 
   > Resources at Xerces.org
Get Involved
   > Donate
   > Become a Sponsor
   > Contact Us
Please notify us at beecityusa@xerces.org
​if you find broken links or other website issues.

​

© The Xerces Society, Inc. 2012 - 2020
​Website Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Mission & Values
      • Our History
      • Bee City Canada
      • Contact Us
  • Bee City USA
    • Current Bee Cities
    • What is a Bee City
    • Benefits to your community
    • FAQs-City
    • Application-City
    • Renewal-City
    • Annual Reports - City >
      • 2017 - City
      • 2018 - City
      • 2019 - City
  • Bee Campus USA
    • Current Bee Campuses
    • What is a Bee Campus
    • Benefits to your campus
    • FAQs - Campus
    • Application-Campus
    • Renewal-Campus
    • Annual Reports - Campus >
      • 2017 - Campus
      • 2018 - Campus
      • 2019 - Campus
  • Get Involved
    • Create Habitat
    • Donate
    • Supporters
  • About Pollinators
    • Why Conserve Pollinators
    • Pollinator Friendly Habitat
    • Identifying Pollinators
  • Resources
  • Media & News
    • Blog
    • Newsletter & Media