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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think it is worth
pointing out that the paper on <EM>Bombus impatiens</EM> that David highlighted
was one part of a proposal by Koppert Biological Systems, Inc. to allow
release of <EM>B. impatiens</EM> into California for open field pollination. The
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) published a Notice of
Intent to adopt a Negative Declaration -- i.e., that the release
of the non-native bumble bee will have no impact on the environment
-- and the associated initial study under the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA). The initial study included Joseph Sullivan's paper as
an appendix. This proposal was released for public comment in December of last
year, and many organizations and individuals from across
North America submitted comments by the late-January deadline. The
comments from CoEvolution Institute were especially strong and a good
model for others.</FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial>In brief, the Xerces Society opposed
importation of <I>Bombus impatiens</I>, due to </FONT><FONT face=Arial>the many
ecological risks and unknown outcomes of importing this bee. We </FONT><FONT
face=Arial>strongly disagreed with the finding that the prescribed risk
mitigation measures </FONT><FONT face=Arial>adequately addressed the significant
ecological risks associated with importation, and believe that t</FONT><FONT
face=Arial>he proposed mitigation measures were fraught with </FONT><FONT
face=Arial>vulnerabilities and should not be relied upon as a basis for allowing
the </FONT><FONT face=Arial>importation of <EM>B</EM>.<EM> impatiens</EM>. The
Society urged the CDFA </FONT><FONT face=Arial>Division of Plant Health and Pest
Prevention Services not to approve the </FONT><FONT face=Arial>requested permit
for importing <I>Bombus impatiens</I>. </FONT><FONT face=Arial>We believe that
there should instead be a focus on the ongoing effort to </FONT><FONT
face=Arial>identify and commercialize bee species that are native to
California.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial>Robbin Thorp contributed greatly to our
comments and we received good information from several other researchers,
including Sarah Greenleaf and Cory Sheffield. We thank them and everyone else
who assisted.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial>Our complete comments can be download as a PDF
file from our web site, <A
href="http://www.xerces.org/">www.xerces.org</A>.</FONT></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Numerous people and organizations signed
on to the Society's comments. In addition to Scott and myself, the signatories
included:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robbin Thorp, Ph.D., Professor
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Emeritus, University of California,
Davis</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Claire Kremen, Ph.D, Asst. Prof of
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Arthropod Biodiversity, University of California,
Berkeley</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah S. Greenleaf, Ph.D., </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>postdoctoral scientist, Department of Plant Pathology,
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>University of California-Davis</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim Lyon, Senior Vice-President,
National Wildlife </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Federation, Washington
D.C.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gabriela Chavarria, Ph.D., Director,
Science Center, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Natural Resources Defense
Council, Washington, D.C.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kim Delfino, California Program
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Director, Defenders of Wildlife, Sacramento,
CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cory S. Sheffield, Ph.D, Department
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>of Biology, York University, Toronto,
CN</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gordon Frankie, Ph.D, University of
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>California, Berkeley</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peter F. Brussard, Ph.D., Department of
Biology, University of </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nevada Reno</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>John Losey, Ph.D., Professor of
Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>NY</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Boris C. Kondratieff, Ph.D., Professor
of Entomology, Colorado State University, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fort
Collins, CO</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Vance Russell, Landowner Stewardship
Program, Audubon California, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Winters,
CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Amanda Jorgenson, Executive Director,
California Native Plant Society, </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Sacramento</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kieran Suckling, Executive Director,
Center For Biological Diversity, </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Tucson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dan Silver, Executive Director,
Endangered Habitats League, Los Angeles, CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Emily B. Roberson</FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>, Native Plant Conservation Campaign, San Francisco, CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Klein</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>, Entomologist, Klein-Edwards
Professional Services</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Scott Thomas, Conservation </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>Director, Sea and Sage Audubon, Irvine, CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jess Morton, Treasurer, Palos
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society, Palos Verdes
Peninsula, CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Daniel R. Patterson, </FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>ecologist, Tucson AZ</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Werntz, Science and Conservation
Director, Conservation </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Northwest, Bellingham,
WA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robert S. Jacobson, M.S., Entomologist,
Lenoir, NC, San </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Diego, CA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Erin Robertson, Senior Staff Biologist,
Center for Native Ecosystems, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Denver,
CO.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>As a foot note, thanks to the efforts of
everyone who submitted comments, it looks like the release of <EM>impatiens</EM>
will not be allowed at this stage. CDFA has yet to officially respond to the
submitted comments but the feeling is that the Negative Declaration will not be
issued. The large number of submissions against the release and the
significance of the issues raised in these submissions will likely mean a
more detailed and extensive Environmental Impact Report will be required under
CEQA.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Matthew
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left>PS. My apologies to those people who are getting this email
twice. I posted to both the Pollinator and Bombus lists.<FONT
face="Times New Roman"></DIV></FONT></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></DIV></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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<DIV><FONT
size=1>______________________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><STRONG>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>The Xerces Society is an international
nonprofit organization that </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>protects the diversity of life through
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