Bumblebee on endangered list
The rusty patched bumblebee is the first bee in the continental USA to be listed as an endangered species. Insect population has suffered a decline of almost 90%
A bumblebee is on the endangered species list for the first time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday.
“The Trump administration reversed course and listed the rusty patched bumblebee as an endangered species just in the nick of time,” said Rebecca Riley, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Federal protections may be the only thing standing between the bumblebee and extinction.”
In early January, the service, under President Obama, directed that the rusty patched bumblebee be added to the list and scheduled the official date for Feb. 10. President Trump issued an order temporarily freezing all new federal regulations a day before the species was set to receive its protective status. The wait is finally over. The natural resources council filed a lawsuit in federal court last month asking the court to stop the government from violating the law by freezing the bumblebee’s listing.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is part of the Department of the Interior, placed the bee on the list because of a dramatic population decline of 87% over the past 20 years. It’s the first bee of any type in the continental USA to receive the designation. (In September, the Obama administration designated seven species of bees in Hawaii as endangered.)
Named for the rust-colored marks on its back, the bee was once common and abundant across 28 states from Connecticut to South Dakota. Today, the species is found only in small, scattered populations in 13 states.
Bees are responsible for pollinating most of the plants that require insect pollination to produce fruits, seeds and nuts. Like other bees, rusty patched bumblebees pollinate important crops such as tomatoes, cranberries and peppers.
The special designation is made under the Endangered Species Act for species at risk of becoming extinct throughout all or a portion of their range. The status helps protect and conserve habitats and punishes people or companies found in violation.