The fight to save the rusty-patched bumble bee and how you can help
Its population and range have declined by 87 percent. Now, there's a 90 percent probability of extinction for the bee if no action is taken to save it.
A rusty patched bumble bee pollinates a flower in Minnesota. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the rusty patched bumble bee on the endangered species list. However, a regulatory freeze by President Trump鈥檚 administration has put a halt to the process and may reverse the decision.
Sarina Jepsen/The Xerces Society
The Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee was meant to become the first bee in North America listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), effective February 10, 2017. However, a聽聽by President Trump鈥檚 administration has put a halt to the process and may聽. Fears that the ESA will be聽聽by the administration add to the uncertainty. Once considered an advancement in conservation while addressing a significant threat to a聽, the decision is no longer an assured victory.
聽by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was based on considerable range reduction and threats to the remaining population from habitat loss and degradation, disease, pesticides, and small population dynamics. Since the late 1990s, the species鈥� population and range declined by 87 percent. Once common throughout the eastern U.S., it is now only found in a聽, mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin. This species is an important pollinator, contributing to an estimated USD聽聽from native insects. The USFWS study estimates a 90-percent probability of extinction for the Rusty-Patched in the next 30 years if no actions are taken.
The pressures the Rusty-Patched face are common to many聽聽including honey bees, which contribute an additional USD聽聽in annual added crop value. The Environmental Protection Agency recently admitted that the most widely used insecticide in the world, neonicotinoids,听, whereas the European Union has聽聽their use since 2013.
According to Dr. Reese Halter, biologist, environmentalist, and author of聽, 鈥淎merica lost a record 44.1-percent of its honeybees last year, with chemical overloading of neonicotinoids (neonics) to blame for not only killing the bees but contaminating soil and the fresh water supply.鈥澛燗 recent study found that conventional聽聽also contribute to pollinator deaths. Introduced diseases, including聽, are聽聽bumble bee populations, with a聽聽in some species over the last 20 years.
Conservationists and academics concerned with the future of the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee banded together to create a movement to protect what remains of the species. An award-winning documentary,听聽helped increase public awareness. Clay Bolt, Producer and Writer for the documentary, became involved after seeing stuffed passenger pigeons at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 鈥淚t was once the most numerous bird on the planet and then it was no more. I decided then that I had to do everything in my power to attempt to bring more attention to this beautiful little bee before it went the same way.鈥�
A coalition was formed, led by the Xerces Society, that put pressure on the USFWS to assess the bees for possible Endangered Species listing. In their final ruling, the USFWS acknowledged campaigns by聽,听,听,听,听,听, and the聽. Mr. Bolt commented, 鈥淚 am just so encouraged and grateful for the public鈥檚 outcry in support of this species, which was integral in the USFWS鈥� decision. This was an effort that would have never been possible without so many people working together to see it through.鈥�
Unfortunately, the coalition鈥檚 success is no longer guaranteed. Rich Hatfield,听Senior Conservation Biologist at the聽, is motivated to get to work on 鈥渞eal conservation鈥� and celebrated the ruling. However, he also acknowledges that, 鈥渁 lot of this has been tempered by President Trump鈥檚 administration whose policies have at least delayed the finalization of the decision. Our hope is it is just that, a delay, but time will tell.鈥�
Even if the government moves forward with listing the Rusty-Patched as endangered, many native pollinators face an uphill battle.聽, Curator of聽the State Arboretum of Virginia and Research Associate Professor in the Dept of Environmental Sciences at the聽University of Virginia, says 鈥淚 think the listing of the Rusty-Patch as an endangered species is a great first step in recognizing the importance of insects in our ecosystems generally and our reliance on them in food production. This was a common bee 30 years ago and it disappeared from most of its range before we even noticed. Others are likely on a similar path.鈥�
The fight is still on for the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee and other pollinators. Dr. Roulston concludes, 鈥淲hat heartens me most is not that the Fish and Wildlife Service has listed it, which I applaud; no, it is that people cared enough to generate the information needed to list it and that so many people responded to the issue. There is suddenly a broad public interest in maintaining and improving pollinator habitat. Whether or not these actions save the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee, they will certainly improve the habitat for many other species and ultimately ourselves.鈥�
It is too early to tell what actions President Trump鈥檚 administration will take regarding the initial USFWS ruling. However, there are steps that individuals can take now. For resources on planting bumble bee-friendly gardens, click聽. For staying up to date on pollinator news, follow the聽, the Sierra Club鈥檚聽, or look up similar campaigns in most other conservation advocacy groups. Click聽聽to watch the documentary, 鈥淎 Ghost in the Making,鈥� and learn more.
Special thanks to聽聽for providing the pictures used in this article.
This story originally appeared on .