White House pollinators plan has just been released by the U.S. government Friday. The unveiling of the new White House pollinators plan was reportedly due to news of an alarming bee decline which the White House aims to fight.
The new White House pollinators plan has been announced during an executive action released on Friday. According to news website Alabama.com, the recently released executive action is Obama ordering the federal government to develop an initiative which will protect pollinators. These pollinators will include species such as honeybees, butterflies, birds and bats.
TIME reports that a new task force was created Friday for the White House pollinators plan. The task force will reportedly battle with the recent and apparently abrupt decline in the number of bees in the United States. The White House pollinators plan will be executed through President Barack Obama's inclusion of $50 million in his 2015 budget proposal which aims to study and prevent the loss of pollinator species.
Reports say that the new task force made possible through the White House pollinators plan will be led by the Agriculture Department and the Environmental Protection agencies. Meanwhile, government agencies will also reportedly be required to develop plans which will progress the habitats of pollinators on federal lands.
The White House pollinators plan is the White House's latest action to address the decline.
According to TIME, the Pollinator Health Task Force will include the undertaking of increasing public awareness regarding the issue. In addition, they need also boost conservation partnerships between the public and private sectors.
President Barack Obama wrote in a presidential memorandum addressing the White House pollinators plan to fight decline in bees, "Given the breadth, severity, and persistence of pollinator losses, it is critical to expand Federal efforts and take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels."
The President reportedly made the announcement on the new White House pollinators plan after finding the problem to be gravely affecting farmers and consumers. According to a White House fact sheet, at least 90 commercial crops harvested in North America rely on honey bees including nuts, fruits, and vegetables. According to date collected, pollinators also have a profound economic impact as they contribute more than $24 billion dollars to the U.S. economy.
The cause for the alarming decline in the bee population as documented by scientists over several decades is still unknown. However, it is believed that climate change, pesticides, loss of habitat and infection have may be among the causes and they are all currently being investigated.
Obama wrote in the memo, "Pollinators contribute substantially to the economy of the United States and are vital to keeping fruits, nuts, and vegetables in our diet. The problem is serious and requires immediate attention to ensure the sustainability of our food production systems, avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector, and protect the health of the environment."
White House pollinators plan is a positive effort from the U.S. government and it is a hope that the task force will be able to help increase the declining population. As it is, collected effort of the government and citizens are still imperative. A fact sheet from the White House reports that the number of bee colonies in the U.S. has dropped from 6 million in 1947 to 2.5 million today.
To learn more about the White House pollinators plan, click here.
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