By Jennifer Schultz and Lauren Rodman
Most people view bees as a nuisance, but these insects are directly responsible for many of the fruits, vegetables and nuts that reach our table.
Two-thirds of the crops humans use for food production and the majority of wild plants depend on pollination by insects such as honeybees, birds, bats and butterflies. In addition to sustaining our food system, pollinators also contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and are vital to ecological health and stability.
The health of bees and other pollinators is an important and growing concern at both the state and federal level.
Pollinator populations in the U.S. have been falling for decades. Domestic managed honeybee populations dropped from 6 million colonies in 1947 to 2.5 million currently, and the Monarch butterfly migration is at risk of a failed migration. While no single factor is causing the current crisis, a combination of stressors contribute to the declining populations. Inadequate diets, natural habitat loss, mite infestations, diseases, loss of genetic diversity and exposure to potentially harmful pesticides are all believed to play a role. Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes rapid and unexpected bee loss within a hive, is also devastating honeybee populations.
At least 14 states have enacted legislation on this topic in recent years. Legislation generally falls into one of five categories: research, pesticides, habitat protection, awareness and beekeeping.
Six states have enacted legislation to study issues related to pollinator health.
For example, Oregon created the Task Force on Pollinator Health in 2014 (HB 4139) to examine regulations, education programs and data collection methods of other states and countries, as well as best management practices for the application of pesticides that may harm pollinators. Seven states have focused on protecting pollinators from pesticide exposire. California (AB 1789) and Vermont (HB 869) enacted legislation last year requiring state agencies to evaluate the effects of neonicotinoids, a widely used insecticide, on human health and the health of pollinators. Minnesota also took action by prohibiting labeling of nursery plants as beneficial to pollinators if the plants were treated with insecticides (2014 HB 2798). Habitat protection is also important, with laws in Kentucky and Minnesota aimed at preserving areas suitable for the survival and reproduction of honeybees and other pollinating insects.
The federal government is also taking steps to protect pollinators. In June 2014, President Obama issued a memorandum to promote the health of honeybees and other pollinators. It calls for the development of a National Pollinator Strategy to coordinate research and an action plan to prevent and recover from population losses. The USDA has also been involved. In February 2014, the agency’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced a new program that provides up to $3 million in technical and financial assistance to improve pollinator health.
See NCSL’s new Web page for a detailed summary of state and federal action to address pollinator health.
Jennifer Schultz is a policy associate and Lauren Rodman is a research analyst in NCSL's Environment and Natural Resources Program.
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