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<h1>Honolulu, HI<br><br>
<br>
<b>Demise of rare isle bees warned</b></h1><b>A group warns of a chain of
extinctions if isle bees are not protected<br><br>
<br>
</b><a href="mailto:citydesk@starbulletin.com">By Associated Press
</a><br><br>
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 24, 2009 <br><br>
An Oregon-based environmental group petitioned the federal government
yesterday to list seven species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees as
endangered.<br><br>
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation wants the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to protect the species because it is in "imminent
danger" of extinction.<br><br>
"These bees are in terrible shape, and without action they are going
to slide into extinction like other Hawaii species," said Scott
Hoffman Black, executive director of the society, located in
Portland.<br><br>
The society contends the bees are critical pollinators of many endangered
Hawaii plants, and the bees' decline could lead to the plants'
extinction. It also asserts protection of the bees could lead to recovery
of the plants.<br><br>
The tiny yellow-faced bees, which grow to about a half-inch long, are
Hawaii's only native bee species. They live on all Hawaiian islands and
in varying environments, including coastlines, dry and wet forests, and
shrub lands.<br><br>
But development has destroyed much of their habitats, particularly the
plants that the bees pollinate, Black said. Feral pigs also eat or root
up those plants. And the bees are directly threatened by invasive
ants.<br><br>
The Fish and Wildlife Service is likely to respond to the society's
petition in about a year, Black said. If it decides to list the species,
land management decisions in areas where the bees live would have to take
their presence into account and possibly mitigate further destruction of
habitat, he added.<br><br>
For example, a new road may have to be rerouted so the bee's habitat
could be avoided, or a residential complex may have to preserve open land
as habitat, Black said.<br><br>
Another practical impact of an endangered species listing is that funding
becomes available to address the impact on the bees' habitat, Black
said.<br><br>
The petition also could result in the bees' plight gaining more attention
from the Fish and Wildlife Service as it begins to draft management plans
for a number of Hawaii species, Black added.<br><br>
"We need to take a commonsense approach and take into consideration
the native species that were here first," he said.<br><br>
The seven species are Hylaeus anthracinus, Hylaeus longiceps, Hylaeus
assimulans, Hylaeus facilis, Hylaeus hilaris, Hylaeus kuakea and Hylaeus
mana.<br><br>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
*************************<br>
Scott Hoffman Black<br>
Ecologist/Entomologist<br>
Executive Director<br>
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<br>
4828 SE Hawthorne <br>
Portland, OR 97215 <br>
Direct line (503) 449-3792<br>
sblack@xerces.org<br><br>
<i>The Xerces Society is an international, nonprofit organization that
protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their
habitat. <br>
</i> <br>
To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, <br>
please visit
<a href="http://www.xerces.org/">www.xerces.org</a>.<br><br>
<br>
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