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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sent on behalf of Scott Hoffman Black</span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Hi all: Please review the information below and consider having your organization sign on to the letter asking Congress to protect pollinators in the new Farm Bill. There have been other letters regarding the Farm Bill and pollinators, and we are supportive of those efforts. However, we also want to make sure that conferees understand the importance of CRP for pollinators, as well as the negative ramifications of the ESA/pesticide provisions in the House-passed bill for pollinator species like the rusty patch bumble bee and Karner blue butterfly. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Please note that this letter is only for organizations to sign. If you are an individual and want to do something, contact your senators or congressperson and ask them to support pollinators in the Farm Bill!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thanks so much for considering signing on. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Best,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Scott</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">**********************</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the National Wildlife Federation invite you to join us in asking Congress to protect pollinators in the new Farm Bill.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Pollinators are vital for the future of agriculture and the planet and it is important that the Farm Bill provide real protections for these important animals.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Please consider signing your organization on to this letter to Farm Bill conferees asking that they:</span></p><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Maintain the new, common sense pollinator provisions included in the Senate version of the Farm Bill.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Ensure that key provisions in the Conservation Reserve Program are maintained and improved.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Reject changes passed by the House that would fundamentally undermine the Endangered Species Act.</span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">While we are appreciative that both the House and Senate maintain pollinator protections that were originally included in the last two Farm Bills, we feel strongly that Congress needs to do more in order to maintain and increase critical pollinator populations.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Please read our letter below and then considering <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform">signing on here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">(If the link doesn’t work: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform</a>)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">--------------------</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">August 28, 2018</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dear Farm Bill Conferees:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">RE:<i> Pollinator Conservation Priorities in the 2018 Farm Bill</i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, the undersigned organizations and companies are writing to urge you to protect pollinators in the next Farm Bill.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Over 85% of all flowering plant species require an animal pollinator (usually an insect) to reproduce. About one-third of food production depends on animal pollinators, and 75% of all fruits and vegetables increase production when visited by a pollinator.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Pollinators have been in the news regularly since colony collapse disorder was identified in honey bees more than a decade ago. Unfortunately, seasonal colony losses of up to 40% are still common in North America. Native bees, which are also vital for agricultural production, are in decline as well. A recent analysis by the Xerces Society and the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 28% of bumble bees in Canada, the United States, and Mexico are imperiled. Additionally, a recent global analysis by the United Nations, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services found that up to 40% of pollinator species may be at risk of extinction in the coming years.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">While we greatly appreciate that both the House and Senate maintain pollinator protections that were originally included in the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills, we feel strongly that more needs to be done in order to maintain and increase critical pollinator populations.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Specifically, going into Farm Bill conferencing, we are requesting that you:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Maintain the new, common sense pollinator provisions included in the Senate Farm Bill:</span></li><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="circle"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level2 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Reconstitute the federal interagency pollinator health task force and objectives,</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level2 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Direct the USDA Chief Scientist to coordinate research on honey bees and other pollinators, and</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level2 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Encourage pollinator habitat development and protection.</span></li></ul></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l5 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Ensure that key provisions in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are maintained and improved:</span></li></ul><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="circle"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level2 lfo4"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Increase acreage, as possible, without undermining quality of program and farmer willingness to participate,</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level2 lfo4"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Support the expanded grazing options for habitat management passed in the Senate Farm Bill, and</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level2 lfo4"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Cap rental rates at no more than 100% of the soil rental rate, continue Signing Incentive Payments and Practice Incentive Payments for pollinator habitat practices, and maintain 50% cost-share percentages for establishing approved practices.<br> </span></li></ul><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Eliminate provisions that would undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve pesticides without consulting the federal agencies charged with protecting listed pollinator species.</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Maintain the pollinator provisions included in the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill.</span></u></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">These provisions include:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo5"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Reconstituting the federal interagency pollinator health task force and objectives to formalize coordination among federal agencies working to support pollinators across private and public lands,</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo5"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Directing the USDA Chief Scientist to facilitate cost-effective research on honey bees and other pollinators by assigning an individual at USDA to serve as a national honey bee and pollinator research coordinator, and</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo5"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Encouragement of Pollinator Habitat Development and Protection, by increasing our understanding and implementation of conservation biological pest control practices and strategies that integrate natural predators of crop pests into agricultural systems for pest control.</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">These provisions will help both managed and wild pollinators in addition to the farmers that depend on them for pollination of crops. Coordination by agencies is vital if we hope to conserve pollinators and their habitats across both private and public lands, and will allow best use of limited resources in this effort.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Ensure that key provisions of the Conservation Reserve Program are maintained and improved:</span></u></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l4 level1 lfo6"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Increase acreage, as possible, without undermining quality of program and farmer willingness to participate,</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l4 level1 lfo6"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Support the expanded grazing options for habitat management passed in the Senate Farm Bill, and</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l4 level1 lfo6"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Cap rental rates at no more than 100% of the soil rental rate, continue Signing Incentive Payments and Practice Incentive Payments for pollinator habitat practices, and maintain 50% cost-share percentages for establishing approved practices.</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">It is important to continue incentive payments, 50% cost-share funding for restoration, and robust rental rates in order to ensure the habitat value of the program - especially to monarch butterflies, beekeepers and native pollinators. These provisions safeguard the attractiveness of the CRP to farmers and are necessary to fully enroll the program.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Increasing the acreage cap and providing adequate funding levels of cost-share, rental rates, and incentives are a wise investment which translate into critical benefits for soil, water and wildlife, including pollinators.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Maintain current Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections:</span></u></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Reject changes passed by the House that would fundamentally undermine the Endangered Species Act.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Section 9111 of the House Farm Bill would allow the EPA to unilaterally approve pesticides for use without adequately considering the harm they pose to endangered species. This could potentially have a major impact on pollinators. The rusty patched bumble bee was recently listed as Endangered and there are an additional 29 butterflies currently listed as either Endangered or Threatened. If included in the final Farm Bill, this provision would make these species and potentially many others increasingly vulnerable to extinction.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The fundamental intent of the ESA is to make decisions based on science that will stop and reverse species decline. It is also intended to protect the ecosystems upon which these species depend. Circumventing the processes put in place decades ago and removing the role of the two federal wildlife Agencies charged with administering the ESA would cause permanent, and possibly irreparable, harm. The signatories of this letter request that this provision is not included in the Farm Bill.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thank you for your consideration of our letter and for working to protect pollinators and the farmers that rely on them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">National Wildlife Federation</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">--------------------</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform">SIGN ON HERE</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">(If the link doesn’t work: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzhXlV3LTvDd1JhFuFN5VSR6rEmE49AwjtOHnD1nBQJzQFw/viewform</a>) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">--------------------</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Scott Black</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Executive Director, The Xerces Society</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a href="mailto:sblack@xerces.org" target="_blank">sblack@xerces.org</a></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span></p></div></body></html>