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Hearing To Explore Nationwide Decline of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators |
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June 22, 2007
CONTACT: Allyson Ivins Groff, 202-226-9019
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With over one-fourth of the foods that comprise our daily diet reliant upon honey bee pollination, honey bees are an integral part of our nation's agricultural production. But according to a 2006 Washington Post report, scientists are finding that U.S. beekeepers have seen the demise of more than one-fourth of their 2.4 million colonies -nearly five times the normal annual loss. Unfortunately, recent field surveys indicate that a wide range of pollinator populations across North America, including birds, bats, insects and other wildlife, have also shown a recent decline, resulting in some of these species being listed as threatened or endangered.
In an effort to learn more about the mysterious threat to our nation's honey bees and other affected species, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans will hold an oversight hearing titled "The Birds and the Bees: How Pollinators Help Maintain Healthy Ecosystems." Held in conjunction with the first annual National Pollinator Week, witnesses will discuss the severity, causes, and ramifications of the decline, as well as make recommendations for Congressional action.
Subject:
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans
Oversight Hearing, "The Birds and the Bees: How Pollinators Help Maintain Healthy Ecosystems"
When:
Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at 1:00 p.m.
Where:
Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building
Witnesses:
Panel I
The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings, Member of Congress
The Honorable Earl Blumenauer, Member of Congress
Panel II
Mamie Parker, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Thomas E. Lovejoy, Ph.D., President, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment
May R. Berenbaum, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Daniel Weaver, President, American Beekeeping Association
Kevin J. Hackett, Ph.D., National Program Leader for Bees and Pollinators, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
This hearing will be webcast live on the Committee's web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
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