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<DIV>Sent to us from Hilda Diaz-Soltero. Thanks, Hilda.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> <BR><BR>This E&E Daily story was sent to you by: hdiazsoltero@fs.fed.us<BR><BR><BR>E&E Daily An E&E Publishing Service <BR>AGRICULTURE: Congress buzzing with ideas for pollinator rescue <BR>Allison Winter, E&E Daily reporter <BR>Legislators, Bush administration officials and scientists will <BR>gather this week to discuss the mysterious downfall of U.S. <BR>honeybee populations and what Congress might do to address the <BR>problem. <BR>The hearing is part of a week of national events meant to draw <BR>attention to the vital role of pollinators in ecosystems and <BR>agriculture and the threats facing the animals. <BR>Among those testifying are Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) and Earl <BR>Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who have signed onto a pollinator research <BR>bill, along with officials from the Agriculture Department and the <BR>Fish and Wildlife Service. <BR>The House Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee will also hear from <BR>noted scientist Thomas Lovejoy, who first coined the phrase <BR>"biological diversity" in 1980 and now heads the Heinz Center for <BR>Science, Economics and the Environment, and May Berenbaum, the <BR>author of a National Academies of Science report on pollinators. <BR>The plight of bees has come to the forefront this year, as a <BR>mysterious "colony collapse disorder" has ravaged some bee <BR>colonies. More than 25 percent of the United States' 2.4 million <BR>bee colonies have vanished, according to some estimates. Birds, <BR>bats and other pollinators are also in decline. <BR>Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 75 percent of <BR>the world's flowering plants, most of which are crop species. The <BR>report last fall from the National Academy of Sciences recommended <BR>using farm bill programs to conserve habitat for native bees. <BR>Hastings, who has a bachelors of science in zoology, will promote <BR>his proposal to dedicate millions of dollars for federal research <BR>on pollinators, according to his staff. <BR>His bill, H.R. 1709, would authorize $50 million over five years <BR>for USDA research grants on pollinators; $20 million for USDA <BR>staff and facilities; and another $5.35 million for research <BR>specifically on the colony collapse disorder. Blumenauer and 39 <BR>other House members have signed on as cosponsors. Aides for <BR>Hastings said they expect a companion bill introduced in the <BR>Senate this week. <BR>A group of 29 senators have already introduced a separate bill <BR>that focuses on pollinator habitat protection through farm bill <BR>conservation programs. The bill, S. 1496, does not create new farm <BR>bill programs or change their funding. Rather, it directs the USDA <BR>offices that dole out conservation funds to help producers develop <BR>habitat or farming practices that could benefit pollinators. <BR>This week has the official designation of "Pollinator Week," <BR>thanks to a Senate resolution and the USDA. Science groups around <BR>the country are holding local events to raise awareness about <BR>pollinators. <BR>Besides the hearing in Washington, USDA will host a lecture with <BR>Pulitzer Prize winning scientist Edward O. Wilson on Wednesday, <BR>and the U.S. Postal Service will release a set of pollinator <BR>stamps Friday. A crop artist in Kansas is making one of those <BR>stamps spring to life this week with a 50-foot reproduction made <BR>from squash, soybeans and flowers. <BR>Schedule: The hearing is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow in 1324 <BR>Longworth. <BR>Witnesses: Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.); Rep. Earl Blumenauer <BR>(D-Ore); Mamie Parker, FWS assistant director for fisheries and <BR>habitat conservation; Thomas Lovejoy, president of the H. John <BR>Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment; May <BR>Berenbaum, professor and head of the Entomology Department at the <BR>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Daniel Weaver, <BR>president of the American Beekeeping Association; and Kevin Hack. <BR> <BR> <BR>About E&E Daily <BR>Environment & Energy Daily (E&E Daily) is written and produced by <BR>the staff of E&E Publishing, LLC. Designed for policy players who <BR>need to know what's happening to their issues on Capitol Hill, <BR>from federal agency appropriations to comprehensive energy <BR>legislation, E&E Daily is the place insiders go to track their <BR>environmental and energy issues in Congress. E&E Daily publishes <BR>daily by 9 a.m. while Congress is in session. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>(Embedded image moved to file: pic23297.gif) <BR> E&E Publishing, LLC122 C St., Ste. 722, NW, <BR> Wash., D.C. 20001.Phone: 202-628-6500. Fax: <BR> 202-737-5299.www.eenews.net <BR> <BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <BR>All content is copyrighted and may not be reproduced or <BR>retransmitted without the express consent of E&E Publishing, LLC. <BR>Click here to view our privacy policy. <BR> </FONT></DIV></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12">Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR>Coevolution Institute<BR>423 Washington St. 5th<BR>San Francisco, CA 94111<BR>415 362 1137<BR>LDA@coevolution.org<BR><A title=http://www.coevolution.org/ href="http://www.coevolution.org/">http://www.coevolution.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><A title=http://www.pollinator.org/ href="http://www.pollinator.org/">http://www.pollinator.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><A title=http://www.nappc.org/ href="http://www.nappc.org/">http://www.nappc.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Bee Ready for National Pollinator Week: June 24-30, 2007. Contact us <BR>for more information at www.pollinator.org </FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><BR><B><I>Our future flies on the wings of pollinators.</B></I></FONT></DIV><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>