<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Responding to a 2010 petition from the Xerces Society and
the late Dr. Robbin Thorp, Professor Emeritus at University of
California–Davis, today the United States Fish and Wildlife Service <b><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-08-13/pdf/2019-17337.pdf?utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list" style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">proposed
to list Franklin's bumble bee (<i>Bombus
franklini</i>) as an endangered species</a></b> under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act (ESA), making it the first bee in the western U.S. to be officially
recognized under the ESA.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Franklin’s bumble bee has the most restricted range of any
bumble bee in the world; it is known only in southern Oregon and northern
California between the Coast and Sierra-Cascade Ranges. A precipitous decline
began in 1999, and despite an extensive amount of searching, Franklin’s bumble
bee has not been seen since 2006. The primary threats to this species include:
1) diseases from managed bees, 2) pesticides, and 3) a small population size.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>Full press release
available here: <span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://xerces.org/2019/08/12/u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-proposes-endangered-species-act-protection-for-franklins-bumble-bee/" style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://xerces.org/2019/08/12/u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-proposes-endangered-species-act-protection-for-franklins-bumble-bee/</a></span></b></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif">Jenni Denekas</font></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Web and Communications Coordinator</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jenni.denekas@xerces.org" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="arial, sans-serif">jenni.denekas@xerces.org</font></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif">(503) 232-6639 x105</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><i><font color="#000000">pronouns: she/her/hers</font></i></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.bottomline.org/content/support-gender-inclusive-pronouns" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff">Why I Use The Pronouns</font></a><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><img src="https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1HXR7ve9npqzZK8TY55nGc9IGS7rK6I1L&revid=0B6029xRcgbukU2FMa0tIdkIzemtaTU1xSDBocXhLVHk0cEZjPQ" width="200" height="83"></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Protecting the Life That Sustains Us</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Connect with us @xercessociety on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/xercessociety/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/xercessociety" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xercessociety/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Visit<span> </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/" target="_blank">www.xerces.org</a><span> </span>to read our<span> </span><a href="http://www.xerces.org/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a>, sign up for our<span> </span><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001HTk7N6nZumLPinBr8VACbNdTXCe732bGu6KpqC13JAKPti_HBe5xyr7t0p4mDfKe2dOsd-TB1qvv772s6GQfVa_SbKKfwBiwl4blH4KvCjq4dpmA2M9UNZ2axlQwu_1Gvjrl2Rb53WUZwsddwCzyorgxedLAaMy3" target="_blank">e-newsletter</a>, and find out how you can protect invertebrates.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Watch us on<span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiPLPJuySOgn6CbjkOxqLQ" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">Support our work:<span> </span><a href="https://xerces.org/donate/" target="_blank">Donate</a>!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#000000" face="arial, sans-serif">628 NE Broadway, Suite 200,   Portland, OR 97232,   USA</font></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>