In response to the draft Farm Bill language under development by the U.S. Congress, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE - Sag Harbor) joined 116 other state legislators in opposition to a provision that we fear will cause harm to pollinators. This letter was delivered to all members of the House and Senate.

The current provision affecting pollinators would exempt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from key requirements under the Endangered Species Act that protect imperiled species, such as pollinators, when the EPA registers potentially harmful pesticides. Circumventing key requirements for federally listed pollinators and allowing the EPA to make self-interested determinations on the effects of pesticides will harm species and disrupt working ecosystems.

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. said, “Pollinators are a critical component of our delicate ecosystem – from producing healthy crops that feed our families, to sustaining plants that foragers like livestock feed upon. We depend on pollinators for food and economic livelihood, and it is our responsibility to keep their habitat clean. It is ironic and deeply disappointing that the proposed Farm Bill is including a provision on pesticides that will only serve to hurt our agriculture industry as well as our environment.”

The letter, spearheaded by Michigan State Representative Tom Cochran and Minnesota State Representative Rick Hansen, cites the benefits that pollinators give to farmers who depend on healthy ecosystems and pollinators to sustain profitable yields year after year.

“It’s easy to take bees or butterflies for granted, but our food system and economy is largely dependent on their survival,” said Michigan State Representative Tom Cochran. “Research is becoming increasingly clear that populations are crashing. We need to do what we can to stop their declining numbers. If we continue to lose our pollinators, we lose specialty crops and all the jobs associated with them.”

“We need to stand up for endangered and threatened pollinators,” said Minnesota State Representative Rick Hansen. “Despite big chemical’s influence, people are aware of the threats to pollinators and are willing to take meaningful action to protect them. We need to pay attention to the small things such as monarch butterflies, honey bees and distinct and diverse populations of native pollinators, as we are part of this web of life. Unfortunately, the proposed federal Farm Bill is full of unnecessary and harmful policies ignoring new science and abdicating responsibility to have a vibrant and diverse food supply. The large vested interests directing the Farm Bill don't have the best interests of people or the pollinators we rely on at heart. We can do better.”

Native pollinators contribute an estimated $3 billion annually in crop pollination services nationally. Together with non-native honey bees, pollinators are estimated to contribute $15 billion in annual crop pollination throughout the U.S. However, many bee populations, are in sharp decline due to a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder. Studies have identified the use of certain pesticides and other factors as contributing to this phenomenon and the resulting loss of bee populations. Recent peer-reviewed data indicates that native bumble bees, including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, are particularly harmed by pesticides.

The full text of the letter is available here.