Is There Hope for the Honeybees? — Pacific Standard
A new bill, the Pollinator Recovery Act, introduced last week by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), seeks to further strengthen pollinators’ federal protection in Congress. Among other provisions, the bill would require the United States Department of Agriculture to conserve up to three million acres of habitat designated strictly for pollinators only.
Last year, beekeepers lost about 40 percent of their honeybee colonies, according to the USDA. Their pollen, which ensures more than 120 crops our cherries, avocados, and broccoli stock our grocery stores, drives more than $15 billion in agricultural revenue per year. Some crops, like almond trees, are 100 percent reliant on honeybees to pollinate their blooms each spring.