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Preserving pollinators the aim of Washington, D.C., meetings
 


By RACHEL LANE
D.C. Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With a noticeable decline in the populations of bees, butterflies and other pollinators, the U.S. EPA and USDA are working with the public to try to find solutions.
The first of their listening sessions were on Nov. 12 and 17 in Washington. More than 250 people attended in person or through a conference call or webinar on Nov. 12 alone.
Among the speakers was David Hackenberg. He reported the first case of what became known as colony collapse disorder, or CCD, to the American Beekeeping Federation in 2006. In addition to being a commercial beekeeper, he owns two farms.
“We need pesticides to farm, but we need to be responsible with pesticides,” he said. “I want results ... We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t found what I did eight years ago.”
He said planting seeds on land that has already been contaminated is not going to fix the problem. The plants that grow will still be contaminated, and polluting the pollinators. “We need good bee pasture. The government needs to open their lands,” Hackenberg said. “We’re losing beekeepers and we’re losing bees.”
Rick Keigwin, director of the EPA’s Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division in the Office of Pesticide Programs, moderated the listening session. He said many government agencies have discussed these concerns and have formed a task force to try to help solve the problem.
The USDA hosted a Forage and Nutrition Summit in October to discuss what the government knows and what information is still needed to make plans. Keigwin said the report should be released in December.
“What activities should we be undertaking and what activities do you already have under way?” he asked. “We want to partner with existing opportunities where we can challenge those and amplify those.”
Keigwin said the loss of pollinator habitats is not just a federal issue. It is a national and international issue. He said the EPA hopes to have some guidelines on procedure and offering assistance in the right opportunities in advance of the 2015 growing season.
“I live in an old urban neighborhood with lots of native plants. I would have hundreds of native bees, but I would go out to the country and see no bees,” said Adrian Fischer, a University of Illinois extension master gardener with a focus on native plants.
She suggests farmers end fenceline-to-fenceline farming and that the government and farmers increase pollinator conservation areas along roadways. She would like to see an increase in educational information for farmers and students in agricultural programs in colleges.
“We need to offer incentives to farmers and rangers for healthy soil and carbon sequestration through sustainable farming practices,” Fischer opined. “The land can be restored.”
Bob Rosenburger with the National Pest Management Assoc. said he understands the concerns about pollinators, but pesticides have an important purpose and are usually targeted to specific areas when applied. “There are 5,000 hospitalizations a year as a result of stinging insects,” he added.
He said he looked forward to working with the federal government to try to address the pollinator issue.
Ginger Vanderveer, with the Chicago area Wild Ones, suggested the government provide more pollinator-friendly parks in neighborhoods, including natural plants. She said government buildings are a good area to have pollinator-friendly environments with no pesticide use.
“The health of pollinators is an indication of the health of an ecosystem,” said Ryan Cravell, with the National Potato Council, adding there have been a number of possible causes identified as the cause for pollinators’ population decline.
“Undue attention to one cause out of many will be a detriment to overall pollinator health.”
Nicole Hamilton with Loudon Wildlife Conservancy in Virginia said her organization has been working with area wineries to increase the population of monarch butterflies with a program called Wings and Wine Trail, creating a tourism attraction.
“We need to bring back milkweed,” she said. “It’s the only plant that the monarch butterfly can lay its eggs on; the only plant the caterpillar eats.”
The organization has also started educational programs about butterflies and habitat restoration projects.
11/20/2014