[Pollinator] Final Reminder--Opportunity to Sign Group Letter to Senate Ag Approps in Support of $20 million in FY09 for honeybee & pollinator research--Deadline Friday, March 14

[R. Thomas Van Arsdall]

FINAL REMINDER--ACTION OPPORTUNITY:  Sign on to Group Letter [below &
attached] to Senate Ag Appropriations in Support of $20 million in honeybee
and Pollinator research for FY0-9. 
 
	* THREE Categories for Signatories:  Organizations Researchers and
Individuals

DEADLINE:  RSVP asap and no later than Friday, March 14 to
tom at vanarsdall.com.  Include how would like to be listed [if individual,
affiliation & city-state].  Feel free to FORWARD to others who may be
interested.

SIGNED TO DATE~

ORGANIZATIONS:
Beeologics, LLC, Miami, FL
Coevolution Institute
Entomological Foundation, Inc.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Environmental Working Group
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, York, SC
MindBodyGreen.com, New York, NY
National Farmers Union
Partners for Sustainable Pollination, Santa Rosa, CA
Xerces Society

RESEARCHERS:
	May R. Berenbaum, Ph. D, Swanlund Professor and Head, Department of
Entomology,     
           University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Chair, National Academy
of Sciences 
           Committee on the Status of Pollinators (2006)
   	Theodore H. Fleming, Ph. D, Professor of Biology, University of
Miami
      Gene E. Robinson, Ph. D, Swanlund Professor and Director, Bee Research
Facility,   
           University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Member, National Academy
of Sciences 
           Committee on the Status of Pollinators (2006)
   	F. Christian Thompson, Ph. D, Research Entomologist, Systematic
Entomology Lab, 
          USDA, ARS: Member, National Academy of Sciences, Committee on the
Status of    
          Pollinators (2006)
     	Rogel Villanueva, Ph. D, Research Scientist, El Colegio de la
Frontera Sur
   	E. O. Wilson, Ph.D, Research Professor of Biology, Emeritus, Harvard
University

OTHER INDIVIDUALS:
Julie Baker, Lansing, MI
Alice Berlow, Executive Director, Island Grown Initiative, Vineyard Haven,
MA
Monica Boruch, Homeschool Parent, Washington, DC
Karen Brandenberger, Tigard, OR
Steve Brustkern, Madison Bee Pollination, Medina, WA
Tonya Clifford, Tennessee Master Gardeners, Sumner County, TN
Zoe Cox, Environmental Specialist, Exelon Nuclear-Byron Station, Byron, IL
Rose-Lynn Fisher, Photographer, Los Angeles, CA
Chris Jones, Beekeepers of Northern Virginia, Alexandria, VA
Danielle Kamens, Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Klement Klammer, Davie, FL
Jennifer Kleinrichert Santa Fe, NM
Sandy McNamee, Vancouver, BC
Michael Menzell, Beautification Committee, Point Pleasant Beach NJ
Randy Rybarczyk, Tuscarawas County Beekeepers Club, Gnadenhutten, OH
Lee Serenethos, Beaverton, WA
R. Thomas Van Arsdall, Fredericksburg,VA
Nelle Wheeler, Summerville, GA
Jennifer Carrell York, Santa Ana, CA

GROUP LETTER~
Dear Chairman Kohl and Ranking Member Bennett,

The undersigned urge the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to allocate
$20 million in Fiscal Year 2009 funding for honeybee and pollinator research
projects. These funds will help provide sustainable research and combat
immediate and pressing challenges like Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and
other factors that threaten both managed honeybees and wild pollinators.  

Honeybees and wild pollinators are essential partners in agriculture and in
healthy ecosystems.  Today, CCD and other threats to the health and
population of pollinators in North America could jeopardize the integrity of
our food supply and healthy wildlife ecosystems.  

Investments in honeybee and pollinator research at USDA have failed to
reflect the seriousness and urgency of threats to pollinators.  The
Administration's proposed increase of less than $1 million for FY09 falls
far short of the investment needed.  The $20 million request is consistent
with the Senate-passed farm bill, which includes a $100 million
authorization over five years for CCD and other pollinator-related research
initiatives.  

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, UPDATE~
* Sen Barbara Boxer is circulating letter ATTACHED, urging colleagues to
cosign.  
	+ To date, Casey, Stabenow, Biden, Kerry, Clinton, Johnson, Dodd,
Sanders & Schumer have already committed to cosign. 
* Administration's FY09 proposal includes $780,000 increase over reported
baseline budget for USDA 'pollinator research' of about $9 million total,
mostly for USDA bee labs and honeybee-related research.
* ANY $ increase in funding resulting from this effort would be a plus! 

R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Public Affairs Representative for Coevolution
Institute/Pollinator Partnership/NAPPC
For More Information, http://www.pollinator.org 

Van Arsdall & Associates
P.O. Box 8512
Fredericksburg, VA  22404-8512
PH:  (540) 785-0949
Cell:  (703) 509-4746
tom at vanarsdall.com


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