[Pollinator] ACTION OPPORTUNITY, Deadline April 30! Group Letter to House Ag Appropriations in Support of $20 million for Pollinator Research for FY10

[R. Thomas Van Arsdall]

ACTION OPPORTUNITY:  Group Letter to House Ag Appropriations in Support of
$20 million for Pollinator Research for FY10
	***SEE Text of Group Letter at Bottom of This E-mail*** 
 
Three Categories of Signatories:  
. Organizations of All Types-National, State, Local [if state or local,
include city, state]-Examples:  Nonprofits, Companies, Local Clubs
. Researchers [Name, Title, Affiliation, City, State
. Individuals [Name, City, State] 

DEADLINE:  Thursday, April 30  
. Sign on by e-mailing Pollinator Partnership's (P2) Jennifer Tsang at
jt at pollinator.org 
. Specify how would like to be listed
. SENATE LETTER-We plan to sending the same letter addressed the Senate Ag
Appropriations Committee leadership at a later date
	o Let us know if you'd like to be included on the Senate letter
. Questions?  E-mail Jennifer or call 415-362-1137

ADDITIONAL ACTION OPTIONS:
. HELP RECRUIT-FORWARD this action opportunity to others who may be
interested in supporting
. SEND YOUR OWN COMMENT via E-mail-
	o You can do so via e-mail by going to
http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/ARSubcomm_Public_Testimony.sht
ml and following the directions
	o P2 is also filing separate comments
	o Deadline for public comment is May 1

BRIEF BACKGROUND: 
. 2008 Farm Bill authorizes $20 million annually for pollinator protection
research on honey bees and native pollinators for FY08-FY12   
. Appropriations Committee decides whether this program receives funding;
money tight, lots of needs, very challenging
. To Date:  
	o FY08 = $0  
	o FY09 = $800,000 for ARS for CCD research; now in ARS baseline so
continues
	o FY10 = ???
. Reps Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have submitted
Member requests to the Ag Appropriations Subcommittee requesting $20 million
for pollinator research [Thanks!!!]
. Our collaborative efforts last year helped get the modest funding for FY09
approved.  Go to http://www.pollinator.org/farm_bill.htm to view last year's
actions under "Funding Pollinator Programs"

Thanks in advance for your consideration and actions in support of our
Pollinating Partners!

			**********

May 1, 2009

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Chair 
The Honorable Jack Kingston, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Agriculture
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20510

RE:	Request for $20 Million in FY10 Allocation to USDA for Pollinator
Research

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Kingston,

The undersigned urge the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture to
allocate $20 million in Fiscal Year 2010 to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to implement the new pollinator research provision
authorized in the 2008 farm bill.

Native and managed pollinators are essential partners in agriculture and in
healthy ecosystems.  Today, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a host of other
pests and pathogens, climate change, habitat loss, pesticide misuse, 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.  

Honey bees and other pollinators make possible over $15 billion in
agricultural products in the U.S., and as much as $250 billion worldwide. 

Investments in honey bee and pollinator research at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) have been stagnant for years and continue to fall far
short of identified needs.  The requested funding will underwrite critical
unmet honey bee and pollinator research priorities that can lead to
scientific outcomes urgently needed to address pressing health challenges
plaguing honey bees and threatening the economic viability of beekeepers.

Thank you for your consideration.  
 
Respectfully Submitted,

ORGANIZATIONS:
          [Organization Name-if state or local, include city, state]

RESEARCHERS:
 	[Name, Title, Affiliation, City, State]

OTHER INDIVIDUALS:
	[Name, City, State]
       
       CC:	The Honorable David Obey
       	The Honorable Jerry Lewis
       	The Honorable Collin Peterson
       	The Honorable Frank Lucas
       	The Honorable Dennis Cardoza
       	The Honorable Alcee Hastings, Jr.
       	The Honorable Earl Blumenauer
       	The Honorable Tom Vilsack

			**********

R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Director of Public Affairs
   Pollinator Partnership
   C-(703) 509-4746
   tva at pollinator.org