[Pollinator] Fwd: Bombus impatiens

Wed Apr 4 12:32:58 PDT 2007

Great summary, Matthew.  Thank you so much the great update.   Also wanted to 
mention that NAPPC partners from Mexico and Canada contributed letters 
against the release of Bombus impatiens in California.  This has been a solid team 
effort, and it looks as if we will need to be ready to revisit this issue in 
the future.

Laurie

In a message dated 4/4/2007 10:31:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
mdshepherd at xerces.org writes:

I think it is worth pointing out that the paper on Bombus impatiens that 
David highlighted was one part of a proposal by Koppert Biological Systems, Inc. 
to allow release of B. impatiens into California for open field pollination. 
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) published a Notice of 
Intent to adopt a Negative Declaration -- i.e., that the release of the 
non-native bumble bee will have no impact on the environment -- and the associated 
initial study under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The initial 
study included Joseph Sullivan's paper as an appendix. This proposal was 
released for public comment in December of last year, and many organizations and 
individuals from across North America submitted comments by the late-January 
deadline. The comments from CoEvolution Institute were especially strong and a 
good model for others.  

In brief, the Xerces Society opposed importation of Bombus impatiens, due to 
the many ecological risks and unknown outcomes of importing this bee. We 
strongly disagreed with the finding that the prescribed risk mitigation measures 
adequately addressed the significant ecological risks associated with 
importation, and believe that the proposed mitigation measures were fraught with 
vulnerabilities and should not be relied upon as a basis for allowing the importation 
of B. impatiens. The Society urged the CDFA Division of Plant Health and Pest 
Prevention Services not to approve the requested permit for importing Bombus 
impatiens. We believe that there should instead be a focus on the ongoing 
effort to identify and commercialize bee species that are native to California.

Robbin Thorp contributed greatly to our comments and we received good 
information from several other researchers, including Sarah Greenleaf and Cory 
Sheffield. We thank them and everyone else who assisted.

Our complete comments can be download as a PDF file from our web site, 
_http://www.xerces.org/_ (http://www.xerces.org/) .

Numerous people and organizations signed on to the Society's comments. In 
addition to Scott and myself, the signatories included:
Robbin Thorp, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Davis

Claire Kremen, Ph.D, Asst. Prof of Arthropod Biodiversity, University of 
California, Berkeley
Sarah S. Greenleaf, Ph.D., postdoctoral scientist, Department of Plant 
Pathology, University of California-Davis
Jim Lyon, Senior Vice-President, National Wildlife Federation, Washington D.C.
Gabriela Chavarria, Ph.D., Director, Science Center, Natural Resources 
Defense Council, Washington, D.C.
Kim Delfino, California Program Director, Defenders of Wildlife, Sacramento, 
CA
Cory S. Sheffield, Ph.D, Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, CN
Gordon Frankie, Ph.D, University of California, Berkeley
Peter F. Brussard, Ph.D., Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno
John Losey, Ph.D., Professor of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Boris C. Kondratieff, Ph.D., Professor of Entomology, Colorado State 
University, Fort Collins, CO
Vance Russell, Landowner Stewardship Program, Audubon California, Winters, CA
Amanda Jorgenson, Executive Director, California Native Plant Society, 
Sacramento
Kieran Suckling, Executive Director, Center For Biological Diversity, Tucson
Dan Silver, Executive Director, Endangered Habitats League, Los Angeles, CA
Emily B. Roberson, Native Plant Conservation Campaign, San Francisco, CA
Michael Klein, Entomologist, Klein-Edwards Professional Services
Scott Thomas, Conservation Director, Sea and Sage Audubon, Irvine, CA
Jess Morton, Treasurer, Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society, Palos Verdes 
Peninsula, CA
Daniel R. Patterson, ecologist, Tucson AZ
Dave Werntz, Science and Conservation Director, Conservation Northwest, 
Bellingham, WA
Robert S. Jacobson, M.S., Entomologist, Lenoir, NC, San Diego, CA
Erin Robertson, Senior Staff Biologist, Center for Native Ecosystems, Denver, 
CO.

As a foot note, thanks to the efforts of everyone who submitted comments, it 
looks like the release of impatiens will not be allowed at this stage. CDFA 
has yet to officially respond to the submitted comments but the feeling is that 
the Negative Declaration will not be issued. The large number of submissions 
against the release and the significance of the issues raised in these 
submissions will likely mean a more detailed and extensive Environmental Impact Report 
will be required under CEQA.

Matthew  

PS. My apologies to those people who are getting this email twice. I posted 
to both the Pollinator and Bombus lists.

______________________________________________________
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that 
protects the diversity of life through invertebrate conservation. To 
join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, 
please visit _http://www.xerces.org/_ (http://www.xerces.org/) .

Matthew Shepherd
Director, Pollinator Conservation Program
4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: _mdshepherd at xerces.org_ (mailto:mdshepherd at xerces.org)  
______________________________________________________

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Laurie Davies Adams
Executive Director
Coevolution Institute
423 Washington St. 5th
San Francisco, CA 94111
415 362 1137
LDA at coevolution.org
_http://www.coevolution.org/_ (http://www.coevolution.org/) 
_http://www.pollinator.org/_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 
_http://www.nappc.org/_ (http://www.nappc.org/) 

Bee Ready for National Pollinator Week:  June 24-30, 2007.  Contact us 
for more information at www.pollinator.org 

Our future flies on the wings of pollinators.

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From: "Matthew Shepherd (Xerces Society)" <mdshepherd at xerces.org>
Subject: Re: [Pollinator] Bombus impatiens
Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:23:54 -0700
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