June 17, 2014
Marge Pauls
Cleveland, OH
Dear Ms. Pauls,
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 2692, the Saving America’s Pollinators Act. As your Representative, your thoughts are important to me and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Bees, both commercially managed honey bees and wild bees, play an important role in global food production. In the United States alone, the value of insect pollination to U.S. agricultural production is estimated at $16 billion annually, of which about three-fourths is attributable to honey bees. Worldwide, the contribution of bees and other insects to global crop production for human food is valued at approximately $190 billion.
Over the past few decades, there has been heightened concern about the plight of bees and pollinator species. To date, the precise reasons for bee colony losses are not yet known. Reasons cited for bee declines include a wide range of possible factors thought to be affecting pollinator species. These include bee pests and disease, diet and nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and other environmental stressors, agricultural pesticides, and beekeeping management issues.
Following heightened concern over honey bee colony losses in 2006 - 2007, Congress provided for increased funding for bee research, among other types of farm program support, to protect pollinators as part of the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246).
As you know, more recently, H.R. 2692, the Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2013, has been introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer and John Conyers, Jr. This bill would suspend registrations of neonicotinoids and ban new registrations of any pesticide for use on "bee attractive plants, trees, and cereals" until the EPA determines the insecticide will not cause "unreasonable adverse effects" on pollinators, including native bees, honey bees, and other beneficial insects, as well as birds and bats. The bill also would require the Department of the Interior to coordinate with the EPA in monitoring the health and populations of native bees, and annually report to Congress on their health and population status.
Please follow the status of H.R. 2692 at www.thomas.gov . Your needs and concerns are important to me and I thank you for taking an active role in the legislative process. Democracy works best when we stay in touch, so I invite you to sign-up for email updates at fudge.congressnewsletter.net. You can also get late-breaking news at facebook.com/RepMarciaLFudge and twitter.com/RepMarciaFudge.
I am honored to serve you, so please feel free to contact me at www.fudge.house.gov or call my D.C. office (202-225-7032) for any further information.
Sincerely,
Marcia L. Fudge
Member of Congress
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