[Pollinator] March 29 House Ag Subc Hearing to review colony collapse disorder (CCD) in honey bee colonies & implications for ag, food, ecosystems. Comments Filed.

[R. Thomas Van Arsdall]

TO:  	NAPPC Listserv

FR:	Laurie Davies Adams

RE:	March 29 House Ag Subcommittee Hearing on Colony Collapse Disorder
in Honey Bee Colonies

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
has scheduled a hearing for March 29, 2007 starting at 10:00 AM in 1302
Longworth House Office Building to review colony collapse disorder (CCD) in
honey bee colonies across the United States, and implications for
agriculture and the food we eat and possible ecosystem impacts.  

Live Audio will be available at the start of the House Ag hearing, and can
be accessed at http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/audio.html. 

Relying heavily on NAPPC work products and information gleaned from the
listserv exchange on this issue, CoE has been briefing Subcommittee staff
and has provided suggested question.  CoE has also prepared and submitted a
statement for the record.  The statement, an executive summary and media
advisory can be accessed at http://pollinator.org/press_kit.htm under
"Colony Collapse Disorder."  

A significant part of the statement is focused on broadening the hearing
record to encompass native pollinator and ecosystem issues-a desire
indicated by Subcommittee staff.

The witness list will include (1) Dr. May Berenbaum, who chaired a recent
National Academy report on the "Status of Pollinators: Monitoring and
Prevention of their Decline in North America;" (2) a panel of researchers;
and (3) a panel of producers and bee keepers.  The witness list will be
posted on the Committee's web site  at
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/schedule.html on March 28.

Key Hill Staff:
+ Subcommittee Staff Director-Keith Jones 	(202) 225-6238
keith.jones at mail.house.gov 
+ Minority Staff Professional:  Pam Miller	(202) 225-0029
pam.miller at mail.house.gov  

CoE also alerted ag LA's and other hill staff about the hearing, again
principally as a way of elevating the pollinator issue.

Feel free to share this information with others who may be interested.

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Transmitted on behalf of LDA--

Bee Ready for National Pollinator Week, June 24-30, 2007! For more info:
www.pollinator.org.  
 
R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Public Affairs Representative for Coevolution
Institute/NAPPC
   (540) 785-0949
   tom at vanarsdall.com