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<b>Xerces and NRDC ask FWS to take legal steps to protect rusty
patched bumble bee</b><br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.xerces.org/?p=18915">http://www.xerces.org/?p=18915</a><br>
<p>On February 13, 2014, the Xerces Society and NRDC filed a notice
of intent to sue the Secretary of the Interior for failure to
respond to a <a
href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bombus-affinis-petition.pdf">petition</a>
to list the <a
href="http://www.xerces.org/rusty-patched-bumble-bee/">rusty
patched bumble bee</a> (<em>Bombus affinis</em>) as an
endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The
rusty patched bumble bee is an important pollinator of
cranberries, plums, apples, alfalfa, and numerous other crops and
wildflowers. Historically, it was found across the Upper Midwest
and Eastern Seaboard, but in recent years it has been lost from
87% of its historic range and its abundance relative to other
bumble bees has declined by 95%.</p>
<p>The Xerces Society filed a petition to protect the rusty patched
bumble bee under the ESA more than a year ago. Under the ESA, the
Secretary of the Interior must make an initial response to a
petition within 90 days (a simple statement of whether or not the
petition presents sufficient information to support the requested
protection), and if the Secretary finds that protection may be
warranted, this law further requires her to decide within a year
of the petition whether or not the species should be protected.
Neither of these deadlines has been met, hence the Xerces Society
and NRDC are taking the next step.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the rusty patched bumble bee continues to face
threats. Declines in some North American bumble bees have been
associated with increased pathogen levels and reduced genetic
diversity, and scientists are currently investigating the
hypothesis that exotic pathogens were introduced to wild rusty
patched bumble bees from commercial bumble bee colonies. The rusty
patched bumble bee may also be threatened by other pathogens,
pesticides, habitat loss or fragmentation, climate change, and
competition with honey bees for nectar and pollen.</p>
<p>With Endangered Species Act protection, remaining populations of
this species could be protected from site specific threats and the
bee’s habitat could be enhanced. Government agencies would also
need to address issues such as the registration of new pesticides
that may be harmful to this species and the movement of commercial
bumble bees which may transfer disease to wild bumble bees.</p>
<div class="moz-signature"><br>
_____________________________________________________________________
<br>
<b>Sarina Jepsen</b>
<br>
Endangered Species Program Director, <a
href="http://www.xerces.org/">The Xerces Society</a>
<br>
Deputy Chair, IUCN Bumblebee Specialist Group | <a
href="http://www.iucn.org/bumblebees">iucn.org/bumblebees</a>
<br>
<br>
<b>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation</b>
<br>
628 NE Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232, USA
<br>
<a href="mailto:sarina@xerces.org">sarina@xerces.org</a>
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Tel: (503) 232-6639, ext. 112
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The Xerces Society is an international, nonprofit organization
that protects
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wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their
habitat.
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_____________________________________________________________________
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