North American Pollinator Protection Campaign Partnership
Fact Sheet
USDA Forest Service and USDA Natural Resources Convservation Service
May 8, 2007
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FEATURED RESULT: Through the work of the partners, teaching modules for grades 3-6 on the importance of pollinators to our natural world and our food security have been created and are available online. Over 200,000 people visited the U. S. Botanic Garden/NAPPC exhibit in Washington, DC and learned of the work of pollinators in our environment, gardens and farms. A resource book on pollinators for policy makers was created and disseminated internationally in support of the International Pollinator Initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity and The Food and Agriculture Organization. |
Purpose of Initiative:
A majority of food crops require pollination by bees and other insects, birds, or bats. Loss of habitat, pollution, and pesticide poisoning are threatening the numbers and health of North American pollinator populations. To address the decline of pollinators in Canada, México and the United States, the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) formed in 1999. The NAPPC is a partnership of public and private organizations whose mission is to raise awareness and educate the public and policymakers of the need to protect pollinators throughout North America to ensure the health of our natural ecosystems and vigor of our agriculture industry.
Partners and Affiliates:
Federal Governments: Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.
International Organizations: Organization of American States.
Civil Society: Bat Conservation International, Butterfly Conservation Initiative, Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, Coevolution Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, Lubee Bat Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Project Wild, U.S. Landcare, Wildlife Habitat Council, World Wildlife Fund.
Associations and Societies: American Beekeeping Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Eastern Apicultural Society of North America, Inc., Ecological Society of America, Entomological Foundation, Entomological Society of Ontario, Foundation for the Preservation of Honeybees, Maryland State Beekeepers' Association, National Association of Interpretation, national farmers Union, North American Butterfly Association, U.S. Golf Association, Wild Farm Alliance, Wildlife Management Institute, The Wildlife Society.
Universities: Bryn Mawr College, Department of Biology; University of Washington, Burke Museum of Natural History; El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; Howard University, Iowa State University; Michigan State U, Department of Entomology; Monarch Watch, University of Kansas; Ohio State University OARDC; Oregon State University, Integrated Plant Protection Center; Portland State University; San Francisco State University, Department of Biology; Stanford University, Department of Environmental Biology; UNAM Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala; UNAM Instituto de Biologia; UNAM Instituto de Ecologia; Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan; Universidad de las Americas, Puebla, Departemento de Quimica y Biologia; University of California, Berkeley, College of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; University of California, Davis; University of Colorado, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Delaware, Entomolgy and Applied Ecology; University of Guelph, International Network of Expertise for Sustainable Pollination; University of Maine, Department of Biology; University of Ottawa, institute of the Environment; University of Rochester, Department of Biology; University of Toronto, Department of Zoology; University of Virginia, Environmental Science; York University, Department of Biology.
Private Sector: Aveda Corporation, Bees East -Thompson Apiaries, The Bee Works, Fenton Communications, Gardner's Supply, Kranz Consulting, Natural Resource Solutions, LLC, Resource Associates, Syngenta Crop Protection Pepco, PPG Industries, Van Arsdall & Associates, Wildwood Labs Inc.
Foundations and Museums: American Museum of Natural History, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy, Center for Agricultural Partnerships, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Center for Environmental Education, Disney Conservation Initiatives, Field Museum of Natural History, Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Sophia Sachs Butterfly House, Turner Foundation,
State Agencies: California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Vermont Nongame and Natural Heritage Program.
Partnership Targets: To improve the health and numbers of native and commercial North American pollinators so that future research indicates robust populations.
This partnership's goals are to:
- Raise awareness of and educate the general public and policymakers about pollinators' importance to agriculture and ecosystem health,
- Promote conservation, protection, and restoration of areas where pollinators can survive and thrive,
- Document and support scientific, economic, and policy research concerning pollinators and their habitats.
Progress Toward Targets:
Awareness and Education:
- Through a joint effort with the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC, a2004 exhibition on pollinators and their benefits to our food security and esthetic surroundings drew over 200,000 people. Negotiations are ongoing to replicate this exhibit at other venues.
- Creation of an online curriculum about pollinators for grades 3-6 called "Nature's Partners: Pollinators, Plants and You" is now available at http://www.nappc.org/curriculum/ Spanish and French translations will be available in the fall of 2007.
- The United States Congress approved, and the President signed into law the creation of the annual National Pollinator Week, beginning June 24-30, 2007
- A pollinator U.S. Postal Service stamp series will be issued in June 2007.
Conservation:
- In 2006, The U.S. Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service each signed an MOU with NAPPC agreeing that pollinator conservation will be included in their land management plans
- Partners completed the necessary data gathering that will lead to the establishment of establish the pollinator conservation digital library. The library will be available online in winter 2007.
- Co-established the annual NAPPC- Wildlife Habitat Council Pollinator Protection Award given for corporate pollinator friendly practices. Winners thus far have been: PPG Industries' Monroeville Technical Center 2003, General Motors Corp. Saginaw Malleable Iron Plant 2004, Lafarge Freedom Pit 2005, and Anheuser-Busch, Inc's Jonesboro Rice Mill 2006.
Research:
October 2006 publication of Status of Pollinators in North America compiled by the National Academy of Sciences with funding from the NAPPC partners, assesses the status of pollinators in North America, identified species for which there is evidence of declined, and analyzed possible causes and potential consequences of those declines, and identified species with inadequate monitoring to determine whether or not there has been a population decline.
- The most important commercial pollinator, the honey bee, is in decline in the U.S. Population data are not available for other managed pollinators such as leafcutting bees and bumblebees.
- Long-term downward population trends for several wild bee species, some butterflies, bats and hummingbirds are evident. Sufficient data has not been collected for many other wild species.
- Decline is associated with introduced invasive parasites, competition with invasive alien "exotic" pollinators, and habitat loss.
- Planting of native wildflowers and strict enforcement of regulations regarding introduction of new pollinator species are both helpful in protection of North America's native pollinators.
Next Steps:
NAPPC will work to continue to expand partners in Canada and Mexico building on the recent first national meetings in Mexico, November 2006, and Canada, January 2007. The pollinator curriculum will be advertised to schools, nature centers, garden clubs etc. Activities will be developed which will be included during the annual National Pollinator Week, beginning June 24-30, 2007. Recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences' study will guide direction of activities in coming years.
Resources:
Funding for the various NAPPC activities and products are provided by the public and private partners, dependent on their interests and capabilities, mostly through in-kind contributions of staff and program time. The Coevolution Institute serves as the administrative unit of NAPPC and has actively sought grants for particular projects.
USG Points of Contact:
Larry Stritch, USDA-Forest Service, (Phone: 202-205-1279, Email: lstritch@fs.fed.us) or
Laurie D. Adams, Executive Director Coevolution Institute, (Phone: 415-362-1137, Email: LDA@coevolution.org )
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