CONTACTS:
Celeste Mazzacano, Aquatic Program Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 490-0389, celeste@xerces.org.
Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 449-3792, sblack@xerces.org.

New Report Provides Guidance on Mosquito Management that Protects People and Wetlands

PORTLAND, Ore.—A new report released today by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation shows that public education and targeted mosquito management efforts are the best way to both protect communities from mosquito-borne diseases and protect wetland health.

Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands reviews the history of mosquito management in the United States, and describes current mosquito management practices and their direct and indirect impact on nontarget organisms. The report also recommends effective alternative approaches to mosquito management, including public education, conserving natural enemies and using state-of-the-art GIS surveillance. The report synthesizes over 450 publications to ensure the recommendations are based on the best available science.

“Insecticides are the default mosquito management tool in most areas, and each year tens of millions of acres of wetlands are treated with pesticides,” said Scott Hoffman Black, the Xerces Society’s executive director and coauthor of the report. “Their use is often reactive, ineffective, and harmful to water quality and wildlife.”

The most commonly used adulticides (pesticides that kill the adult mosquitoes) are organophosphates and pyrethroids, broad-spectrum toxins that severely impact nontarget invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and birds. They have been implicated in declines of both wetland-associated and terrestrial wildlife, including endangered butterflies that live near treated areas. Larvicides (pesticides that kill the immature mosquitoes) are considered less toxic, but even these can have a negative impact on the wetland community by disrupting local food webs and harming nontarget organisms when applied repeatedly throughout the season.

“The Centers for Disease Control stress the importance of reducing mosquito abundance through site management and removing artificial containers in which mosquitoes can breed,” said Celeste Mazzacano, aquatic program director for the Xerces Society and lead author of the report. “Public education about eliminating mosquito breeding sites around the home and taking personal protective measures is an effective way to prevent being bitten.”

Following these general principles, Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands lays out a series of steps for land managers to take in developing a site-specific, ecologically sound mosquito management plan.

Wildlife managers have serious concerns about the effects of mosquito management practices on wildlife health and biodiversity. Their goals to manage wetlands as natural areas to conserve sensitive fish, amphibians, and birds and to reduce or eliminate pesticide impacts on water quality and the food web are often at odds with vector control agencies’ fear of increased mosquito production. Protecting our remaining wetlands is critical; nearly half of U.S. states have lost over 50% of their wetlands, and several have lost more than 80%. It is increasingly important to develop wetland management techniques that sustain the integrity and biodiversity of these vulnerable ecosystems while simultaneously providing effective management of an insect with serious public health and nuisance impacts.

Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands will help land managers formulate site-specific mosquito management plans that balance the needs of the environment with those of the human community, creating solutions to mosquito issues that are both more effective and less toxic to the aquatic ecosystem.

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To download a copy of the report or a four-page summary, click here.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Protecting the Life that Sustains Us.

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org.

CONTACT: Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; 503-232-6639 ext. 112, sarina@xerces.org

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Threatened with Extinction

The Xerces Society asks U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Protect this Important Pollinator

PORTLAND, Ore.— The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation filed a petition today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the rusty patched bumble bee. This animal was once very common from the Upper Midwest to the East Coast and was an important pollinator of crops and wildflowers. Recently it has undergone a precipitous decline.

Historically known from more than twenty-five states, a recent study estimates that the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) has disappeared from 87 percent of its historic range. Where it is still found, this bee is much less abundant than it was in the past.

“The charismatic and once common rusty patched bumble bee has suffered severe and widespread declines throughout its range in the eastern U.S. since 1997,” said Dr. Robbin Thorp, professor emeritus of the University of California – Davis. Dr. Thorp is a nationally recognized expert on bumble bees and coauthor of the petition. “The few scattered recent sightings thanks to intensive searches are encouraging, but the species is in critical need of federal protection.”

The cause of the rusty patched bumble bee’s decline has not yet been fully determined. However, in related bumble bees that also are declining, researchers at the University of Illinois have recently found higher levels of a fungal pathogen and lower levels of genetic diversity. Notably, the rusty patched bumble bee was too scarce in the landscape to be included in these analyses.

The leading hypothesis suggests that this fungal pathogen was introduced from Europe by the commercial bumble bee industry in the early 1990s, and then spread to wild pollinators. Although it has not been proven, the hypothesis is supported by the timing, speed and severity of the decline—a crash in laboratory populations of bumble bees occurred shortly before researchers noticed a number of species of formerly common bumble bees disappearing from the wild.

“The remaining populations of the rusty patched bumble bee are small and isolated, and continue to be threatened by diseases from a largely unregulated commercial bumble bee industry, as well as by disease from other sources, habitat degradation, pesticide use and climate change,” said Sarina Jepsen, endangered species program director at the Xerces Society.

With Endangered Species Act protection, remaining populations of this species could be protected from site specific threats and the bee’s habitat could be enhanced. Government agencies would also need to address issues such as the registration of new pesticides that may be harmful to this species and the movement of commercial bumble bees which may transfer disease to wild bumble bees.

Pollinators are critical components of our environment and essential to our food security—providing the indispensable service of pollination to more than 85 percent of flowering plants and contributing to one in three bites of the food that we eat. Bumble bees are among the most widely recognized and well understood group of native pollinators in North America and contribute to the pollination of food crops such as squash, melon, blueberry, cranberry, clover, greenhouse tomato and greenhouse pepper, as well as numerous wildflowers.

“Large areas of insect-pollinated crops, when combined with appropriate pesticide use practices, can contribute to a sustainable landscape for bumble bees,” said Jennifer Hopwood, Midwest pollinator conservation specialist with the Xerces Society. “If the rusty patched bumble bee is listed as an endangered species, private landowners who take actions to enhance habitat for this bee on their land may be eligible to enter into Safe Harbor agreements with the Fish and Wildlife Service or get funding through USDA conservation programs for habitat improvements.”

A Safe Harbor agreement provides assurances that private landowners will not have restrictions placed on their property if they create or improve habitat for an endangered species, and can serve as an incentive to encourage individuals to become involved in restoring habitat to benefit endangered species.

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Read the complete petition

For more information about the rusty patched bumble bee, visit Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

For more information about the Xerces Society’s bumble bee conservation efforts, visit Project Bumble Bee

About the Xerces Society
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org.

Photographs

The header photo on this page was taken by Johanna James Heinz.

The following photographs were taken by Christy Stewart in 2012 at the Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Wisconsin.

© Christy Stewart 2012

© Christy Stewart 2012

© Christy Stewart 2012

CONTACTS:
Scott Black, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 449-3792, sblack@xerces.org
Dominik Kulakowski, Clark University; (508) 793-7383, dkulakowski@clarku.edu
Barry Noon, Colorado State University; (970) 491-7905, brnoon@warnercnr.colostate.edu
Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist and President of the Geos Institute (541) 621-7223, dominick@geosinstitute.org
Visit BioOne for the article abstract and details

New Study: Bark beetle outbreak not the culprit in recent rash of western fires

PORTLAND, Ore.—A new paper published today in the Natural Areas Journal indicates that bark beetle outbreaks that have turned millions of acres of forests in the Inter-mountain West a noticeable red coloration (from tree death) do not substantially increase the risk of active crown fire in lodgepole pine and spruce forests as commonly assumed. Instead, “Do Bark Beetle Outbreaks Increase Wildfire Risks in the Central U.S. Rocky Mountains? Implications from Recent Research” documents evidence that active crown fires in these forest types are primarily triggered by dry conditions exacerbated by climate change.

“Outbreaks of mountain pine beetle and spruce beetle do not appear to substantially increase the risk of subsequent fire under most conditions,” said Dominik Kulakowski assistant professor of geography and biology at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and co-author of the paper. “Instead, fire risk is strongly tied to warm and dry conditions, such as those of recent decades. As long as the severe droughts we have been seeing in recent years persist, we can expect a high risk of fire—regardless of beetle outbreaks. The relationship is not so much that outbreaks lead to fires as much as it is that recent climatic conditions are increasing both outbreaks and fires. Fire risk has been increasing, but that increased risk is primarily driven by climate and not outbreaks. Drought is the trump card in this case,” Kulakowski said.

Looking at multiple studies the paper also concludes that although preemptive thinning for bark beetle control may reduce susceptibility to small outbreaks there is no evidence that thinning will reduce susceptibility to large, landscape-scale epidemics. Also once beetle populations reach epidemic levels, logging measures aimed at stopping them are not likely to reduce forest susceptibility to outbreaks.

“Drought and high temperature are likely the overriding factors behind the current bark beetle epidemic in the western United States”, said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and co-author of the paper. “Because logging and thinning cannot effectively alleviate the overriding effects of climate, it will do little or nothing to control these large-scale outbreaks.”

Logging and thinning can also inadvertently lead to heightened insect activity by removing large, dead trees that are often used as habitat by species that prey on bark beetles. Therefore, logging could prolong outbreaks because of a reduction in the beetles’ natural enemies, including both insects and bird species that feed on mountain pine beetles. Thinning or logging to control bark beetles can also have adverse consequences for wildlife and water quality, if roads are used to implement these logging projects.

“The roads needed to implement large-scale thinning or logging can have extremely adverse impacts on fish and other aquatic life and fragment forests, negatively affecting wildlife such as Colorado’s blue-ribbon trout streams,” said Barry R. Noon, a professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University.

The authors recommend that instead of implementing large-scale logging projects priority be given to removing hazardous trees, which were killed by fire or insects and that might fall across roads or in campgrounds in areas of high-human use to limit damages and potential loss of life. Moreover, the report indicates that concentrating fuel reduction measures in the immediate vicinity of homes is the best way of reducing existing and future risks of fire. “Given our limited resources, focusing fuel reduction treatments around homes and communities rather than in remote beetle-affected forests would be more effective at reducing fire risk to those structures,” Kulakowski said.

“Based on our findings, land managers and decision makers should exercise caution in jumping to a logging conclusion when dealing with bark beetle epidemics, as the costs to wildlife and clean water from logging outweigh any remedial benefit,” said Dominick A. DellaSala, chief scientist and president of the Geos Institute and co-author of the report.

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About the Authors

Scott H. Black is the executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. He also serves as the Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Butterfly Specialist Group and as a member of the IUCN Invertebrate Conservation Subcommittee. He has a Master of Science degree from the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, through the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University. Scott has authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific and popular publications two books and dozens of technical reports on land management issues. Scott received the 2011 Colorado State University College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award.

Dominik Kulakowski is an assistant professor of geography and biology at Clark University in Worcester, MA. For close to fifteen years, Kulakowski’s research has focused on how outbreaks and fires interact, as well as how climate affects these and other forest disturbances. He has published numerous scientific papers on interactions among disturbances, as well as on other topics dealing with forests of the Rocky Mountains and other mountain ecosystems.

Barry R. Noon is a professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. He has conducted research on the effects of land management practices on wildlife populations for the past 36 years. During this period, he has published over 100 scientific papers and co-authored four book-length reports to the federal government on the sustainable management of public lands. For 11 years, he directed a Forest Service Research Lab in the Pacific Northwest (USA) and served for a year as chief scientist of the National Biological Service, Department of the Interior during the administration of President Clinton.

Dominick A. DellaSala is the chief scientist and president of the Geos Institute in Ashland, OR, and president of the Society for Conservation Biology, North America Section. He is an international author of over 150 technical publications, including Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation (www.islandpress.org/dellasala), acknowledged for “outstanding academic excellence” by Choice magazine (2012). Dominick has received conservation leadership awards from World Wildlife Fund (2000, 2004) and Wilburforce Foundation (2006).

Photographs

The following photographs can be obtained from Forestry Images at the URLs given.

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae); adult.
Credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae); dead adult “pitched out” of hole by tree.
Credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Damage caused to lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta) at Rabbit Ear’s pass, Colorado, by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae).
Credit: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Primary threats to Taylor’s checkerspot are loss, conversion, and degradation of habitat particularly due to agricultural and urban development, successional changes to grassland habitat, and the spread of invasive plants. Populations of this butterfly have declined precipitously over the past decades; an endangered species listing will protect it and the critical habitats it calls home in the Pacific Northwest.

The proposal includes setting aside approximately 6,875 acres of land as designated habitat in Washington and Oregon. This butterfly occupies just two locations in Oregon and eleven in Washington, on both public and private land.

The Xerces Society has been engaged in conservation of this species for over ten years. We completed an initial assessment of the status of the species that ultimately led to petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But we did not wait for the agency to respond before working to conserve habitat for the species. Xerces staff worked with lepidopterist Dana Ross to do initial surveys of this species in Oregon. These surveys led to the discovery of an important population on land owned by Benton County and managed by the county’s Natural Areas and Parks Department.

Xerces worked to ensure the long-term security of Oregon’s other population of Taylor’s checkerspot, also in Benton County. This was mainly on private land, but the butterflies used an adjacent power line right-of-way as well. A memorandum of agreement (MOU) was established with the private landowner to protect the butterflies and allow the county parks department to control invasive species. Additionally, we worked with the Bonneville Power Administration to develop an MOU to detail management of habitat on the power line right-of-way.

We have made significant steps toward our goal of conserving this butterfly, but we will continue to work with partners, as well as, advocate for full recovery of this species.

For more information on this species, read more at: Butterflies aren’t free
To watch an Oregon Public Broadcasting special on work to conserve this species go to: http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/segments/view/1566

Contacts
Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; 503-449-3792
Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, Wildlife Program Director, WildEarth Guardians; 505-699-7404

DENVER, Colo. — Responding to a petition from a coalition of conservation groups and scientists the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today issued a positive 90-day finding for the Arapahoe snowfly (Capnia arapahoe) determining that protection may be warranted and initiating a status review of the species.

The Arapahoe snowfly is known only from Young Gulch and Elkhorn Creek, two small tributaries of the Cache la Poudre River in the Front Range of northern Colorado. A recent status review developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation strongly indicates that this aquatic insect is critically imperiled and may be on the brink of extinction.

“We are very pleased that the USFWS is going to take a serious look at protecting this species,” said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “The science clearly shows that Arapahoe snowfly is threatened with extinction.”

Besides being extremely rare, the species is threatened by habitat damage from intensive recreation, livestock grazing, timbering projects, stream de-watering, insecticide application close to water bodies connected to Elkhorn Creek, sedimentation and runoff from roads and trails, and pollution from residential and destination resort septic systems.

Endangered Species Act protection for the snowfly would mean that their habitat would be protected and restored.

Snowflies (sometime called winter stoneflies) such as the Arapahoe snowfly are described as “indicator species,” meaning that the health of their populations signals the health of their freshwater habitats. Snowflies require cool clear rivers and streams making them excellent biological indicators of watershed health.

The Arapahoe snowfly is only one of the many important species found in the Cache la Poudre watershed. Careful management in this watershed is essential to sustain the diverse species this area supports.

“Protecting and restoring the Poudre River is our organization’s mission,” said Gary Wockner of Save the Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper. “The Snowfly is an indicator species of the health of the Poudre River ecosystem. We commend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for launching a science-based review process for this imperiled species.”

Information on petitioners:

Dr. Boris Kondratieff is a Professor of Entomology at Colorado State University.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diversity of life through the conservation of invertebrates.
WildEarth Guardians is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring wildlife, wild places, and wild rivers in the American West.
Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper works to Protect and Restore the Cache la Poudre River. Cache la Poudre River Foundation is an organization founded for the protection of wild trout through the town of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Center for Native Ecosystems conserves and recovers native species and ecosystems of the Greater Southern Rockies using the best available science.

For more information on the the Arapahoe snowfly see:

http://www.xerces.org/arapahoe-snowfly/

To download the petition go to:

http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/capnia-arapahoe-petition1.pdf

In comments to the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, ten other conservation groups, and several bee scientists have formally asked for protection of wild bumble bees from the threat of disease.

Read the complete comments

Recent work by Dr. Robbin Thorp and The Xerces Society has established that at least four species of formerly common North American bumble bees have experienced steep declines; two of those species teeter on the brink of extinction. A major threat to the survival of these wild bees is the spread of diseases from commercially produced bees that are transported throughout the country.

“The federal government does not regulate the movement of native bees throughout the United States, nor does it certify that native bees that are moved be free of diseases,” said Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has the authority to regulate the interstate movement of native bees under the Plant Protection Act.”

Bee pollination is essential to the reproduction of many crops and native flowering plants, and pathogens of bumble bees can act as indirect plant pests that pose a significant threat to agriculture and native ecosystems.

In order to prevent the spread of disease to wild populations of agriculturally significant bee pollinators, the Xerces Society et al. has asked the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) to use its authority under the Plant Protection Act to regulate bumble bee pathogens as plant pests. Specifically, USDA-APHIS should create rules prohibiting the movement of bumble bees outside of their native ranges and regulate interstate movement of bumble bee pollinators within their native ranges by requiring permits that show that bumble bees are certified as disease-free prior to movement.

“The rusty patched bumble bee, the western bumble bee, the yellow banded bumble bee and Franklin’s bumble bee are all threatened by disease spread from commercially reared bumble bees. Franklin’s bumble bee and the rusty patched bumble bee may be headed for extinction,” said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society. “We hope to work with USDA-APHIS to enact common sense regulations that ensure these and other bumble bee species are adequately protected.”

To read more about declining bumble bees, please visit our website.

Conservation groups supporting this request include: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pollinator Partnership, Wild Farm Alliance, Endangered Species Coalition, The Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, Center for Native Ecosystems, Conservation Northwest, Native Plant Society of Oregon and Western Nebraska Resources Council.

Bee experts supporting this request include: Robbin Thorp, Ph.D. (University of California, Davis), Marla Spivak, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota) and Claire Kremen, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley).

• Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, (503) 449-3792
• Dr. Robbin Thorp, Professor emeritus, University of California Davis, (530) 752-0482

Portland OR: An extensive review of bumble bee studies and surveys from across the U.S. show that three formerly common bumble bee species are experiencing steep declines.  The report compiled information from more than three dozen scientists and citizen monitors and found that populations of the rusty-patched, yellowbanded and western bumble bee have all sharply dropped in the last decade.

The declines are especially alarming in light of the loss of honey bees to Colony Collapse Disorder. Bumble bees are important pollinators and can be an excellent insurance policy when honey bees are in short supply.

Read the complete Status Review >>

• The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) was once common and widespread across 26 Eastern and Midwestern U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. This study indicates that this bumble bee has undergone a dramatic decline across most of its former range.

• The yellowbanded bumble bee (Bombus terricola) was once regularly found in 21 Eastern and Midwestern U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces. Although some individuals were found in isolated parts of its range between 2005 and 2008, this study suggests that this bumble bee has drastically declined in large parts of its range.

• The western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) was once among the three most common bumble bees in the western U.S.; it was widespread across 14 western U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. While it is still be found in some areas in the northern and eastern parts of its historic range, this report reveals that the bumble bee has undergone a dramatic decline in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California.

While the cause of these declines is still undetermined, we conclude that an escaped exotic disease organism carried by commercially reared bumble bee colonies is the most likely cause of these widespread losses. The authors believe that it is important for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service to begin regulating the movement of native bees within the U.S. to ensure that we can prevent the unnecessary spread of disease to these valuable pollinators.

Read the complete Status Review >>
Read more about bumble bees in decline >>

New report “Without a Net” details need for new administration to protect vulnerable wildlife.

Washington DC– A new report details how the island marble butterfly is languishing without protection even though it may be on the brink of extinction.  The new report lists the island marble as one of ten species that have been named the most in-need of protection under the Endangered Species Act.  With a population of less than 2,000 individuals and multiple threats to its survival the island marble is one of the most imperiled butterflies in the U.S.

“It is extremely clear that this butterfly deserves Endangered Species Act protection,” said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “We are very disappointed that politics interfered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to protect this rare butterfly.”

In 2006, Fish and Wildlife Service issued a positive 90-day finding, indicating that listing for the butterfly may be warranted and initiated a listing determination process.  The review was conducted as the result of a petition submitted by the Xerces Society, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the San Juans, and Conservation Northwest. In conversations with the Xerces Society during the review process, Fish and Wildlife Service biologists stated that the butterfly met all of the criteria for listing. However, in September 2006, the same biologists said they were no longer allowed to discuss the listing. In November the Service denied protection to the island marble butterfly without legal or scientific justification.

The island marble butterfly faces multiple threats from development, road maintenance, invasive plants and severe weather events. This butterfly historically lived along coastal grasslands and adjacent prairies in British Columbia on the Gabriola and Vancouver Islands, and in Washington state on the San Juan Islands. It was thought to have gone extinct in the early 1900s, but was rediscovered in 1998 on San Juan Island. The island marble feeds on field mustard and tumble mustard and is dependent on coastal habitat and the adjacent prairies on San Juan Island and Lopez Island.

“The island marble and dozens of other species have been denied the protection they deserve by eight years of the Bush administration,” said Noah Greenwald, Biodiversity Program Director for the Center for Biological Diversity.  “We look forward to an administration that cares about scientific integrity and wildlife.”

The Bush Administration, however, has protected the fewest species of any administration since the law was passed, to date only protecting 62 species, compared to 522 under the Clinton Administration and 231 under the senior Bush Administration.

The Bush Administration argues they have listed fewer species because their resources have been tied-up by lawsuits.  Funds for litigation, however, come primarily from the Department of Justice rather than Fish and Wildlife’s budget for listing new species.  Moreover, the Bush Administration actually has more money for listing of species than previous administrations and is listing fewer species per million dollars than the previous administration (see http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/ESAreport-revised.pdf). Indeed, all of the 62 species protected by the Bush administration were done so under one or more court orders.

For more information on this report:
http://www.xerces.org/top-ten-endangered-species/

To read about the island marble butterfly:
http://www.xerces.org/island-marble/

or

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/island_marble_butterfly/index.html

Contacts:
Dr. Celeste Mazzacano, Aquatic Conservation Coordinator,
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; 503-232-6639

Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director,
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; 503-449-3792

Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, Wildlife Program Director,
WildEarth Guardians; 505-699-7404

Scientists, Conservationists Act to Protect an Indicator of Watershed Health

Portland, OR- A coalition of scientists and conservationists filed a petition today requesting that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extend Endangered Species Act protection to Susan’s purse-making caddisfly (Ochrotrichia susanae).

Susan’s purse-making caddisfly is only known from two sites in central Colorado: Trout Creek Spring and High Park Fen. A recent status review developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation strongly indicates that this caddisfly is critically imperiled and may be on the brink of extinction.

Besides being extremely rare, the species is threatened by habitat damage from intensive livestock grazing, timbering projects, de-watering of spring habitats due to groundwater withdrawal by surrounding cities, and off-road recreational vehicle use.

“The science clearly shows that Susan’s purse-making caddisfly is threatened with extinction,” said Dr. Celeste Mazzacano, Aquatic Conservation Coordinator for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “The plight of O. susanae is really just the tip of the iceberg for spring-dependent species in the arid West, many of which are found in only one or a handful of threatened springs.”

Caddisflies such as Susan’s purse-making caddisfly are described as “indicator species,” meaning that the health of their populations signals the health of their freshwater habitats. Susan’s purse-making caddisfly is in the group called micro-caddisflies, extremely small animals that move slowly across the substrate, scraping and eating diatoms from rocks. Near the end of their larval stage the purse-making caddisfly constructs and lives in a purse-shaped case made of small pebbles. The caddisflies require relatively undisturbed habitats with good water quality, making them excellent biological indicators of watershed health.

Susan’s purse-making caddisfly is only one of the many unique species found nowhere but in Western springs, and carefully targeted management of these habitats is essential to maintain their biological integrity and sustain the diverse species they support.

Trout Creek Spring and the surrounding area are critical to the continued survival of the imperiled Susan’s purse-making caddisfly,” said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “The impacts of current livestock grazing, as well as the impact from planned timber harvest could drive the Susan’s purse-making caddisfly extinct.”

Endangered Species Act protection for the caddisfly would mean that their habitat would be protected and restored.

“The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for fish and wildlife on the brink of extinction,” said Jonathan B. Ratner, Director of Western Watersheds Project Wyoming Office.” We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and leave behind a legacy of protecting endangered species, like these caddisflies, and the special places they call home.”

The petitioners include: Dr. Boris Kondratieff, a University of Colorado entomologist and expert in aquatic insects; The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to protecting wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat; Western Watersheds Project, a group working to protect the health of western waters; Center for Native Ecosystems, a group dedicated to protecting native species and their habitats in the Rocky Mountain Region; and WildEarth Guardians, which protects and restores wildlife, wild rivers and wild places in the American West.

Above photo of an Island Marble butterfly by Bob Pyle

May 24, 2007, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) along with 28 other co-sponsors introduced the Pollinator Habitat Protection Act into the Senate today. This bill allows existing conservation programs to provide enhanced habitat for pollinators.

The European honey bee is — and will continue to be — the most important single crop pollinator in the United States. However, with the decline in the number of managed honey bee colonies from diseases, parasitic mites, and Africanized bees – as well as from Colony Collapse Disorder – it is important to increase the use of native bees in our agricultural system as well. Providing habitat for these pollinators is vital to this effort.

The Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 is aimed at improving habitat and food sources for pollinators. This bill utilizes existing Farm Bill conservation programs to strengthen both native and managed pollinator habitat. It does not cost additional money, or create a new program. It simply requires existing conservation programs to acknowledge pollinator habitat as a conservation resource and rewards producers whose conservation practices are beneficial for pollinators.

Specifically, the Pollinator Habitat Protection Act adds pollinators as a conservation target to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Security Program, and the Conservation Reserve Program.

“This bill can help to improve crop security and the sustainability of agriculture, by helping farmers in the United States diversity their pollinator portfolio” said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “The Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 will provide incentives to encourage farmers to improve habitat for both native and managed pollinators.”

Hundreds of species of native bees are available for crop pollination. Research from across the country demonstrates that a wide range of native bees help with crop pollination, in some cases providing all of the pollination required. These free, unmanaged bees provide a valuable service, estimated recently by scientists from the Xerces Society and Cornell University to be worth $3 billion annually in the U.S.

“Almost all of our pollination eggs are in the honey bee basket,” says Mace Vaughan, conservation director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “The Pollinator Protection Act of 2007 will put habitat on the ground for bumble bees, sweat bees, mason bees, squash bees, sunflower bees, miner bees, and also support honey bees. This bill strengthens and adds pollinator baskets for agriculture.”

Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007
Conserving America’s pollinators will require economic incentives for private landowners.  On October 18, 2006, the National Academy of Sciences released the report Status of Pollinators in North America, which called attention to the decline of pollinators. Prepared by a National Research Council (NRC) committee, the report made several recommendations including urging the federal government to fund pollinator conservation through Farm Bill conservation and research programs.

The bill would create incentives for farmers to protect, restore and enhance pollinator habitat on and around farms. Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 would encourage state-level Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to promote scientifically tested and approved pollinator-friendly practices for farmers participating in Farm Bill conservation programs.

Fully integrating native pollinators into Farm Bill programs can have a wide impact. For example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) allocated over $1 billion in financial and technical assistance to farmers in 2006, and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) retired over 36 million acres of farmland, 4.5 million of which was specifically for wildlife habitat that could be tailored to provide the greatest benefit for pollinators.

Importance of Protecting Pollinators
Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is important for the reproduction of nearly 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants. This includes more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species, and one in three mouthfuls of the food that we eat. The United States alone grows more than one hundred crops that either require or benefit from pollinators.

Beyond agriculture, native pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of birds, and of mammals ranging from deer mice to grizzly bears.

Why are native bees so helpful? Collectively, native bees are more versatile than honey bees. Some species, such as mason bees, are active when conditions are too cold or wet for honey bees. Many species also are simply more efficient at moving pollen between flowers. Bumble bees and several other native species can buzz pollinate flowers – vibrating the flower to release pollen from deep inside the pollen-bearing anthers – which honey bees cannot do. Crops such as tomatoes, cranberries, and blueberries produce larger, more abundant fruit when buzz pollinated.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international non-profit organization that protects the diversity of life through the conservation of invertebrates. The Society advocates for invertebrates and their habitats by working with scientists, land managers, educators, and citizens on conservation and education projects. Its core programs focus on endangered species, native pollinators, and watershed health.

For more information on pollinator conservation go to: www.xerces.org

Pollinator Habitat Protection Act 2007 Cosponsors

Sponsor: Baucus, Max- (D – MT)
1. Chambliss, Saxby- (R – GA)
2. Grassley, Chuck- (R – IA)
3. Landrieu, Mary L.- (D – LA)
4. Nelson, Bill- (D – FL)
5. Isakson, Johnny- (R – GA)
6. Craig, Larry E.- (R – ID)
7. Casey, Robert P., Jr.- (D – PA)
8. Dorgan, Byron L.- (D – ND)
9. Feinstein, Dianne- (D – CA)
10 Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D – NY)
11. Brown, Sherrod- (D – OH)
12. Harkin, Tom- (D – IA)
13. Kerry, John F.- (D – MA)
14. Allard, Wayne (R-CO)
15. Collins, Susan M.- (R – ME)
16. Byrd, Robert C.- (D – WV)
17. Thune, John- (R – SD)
18. Boxer, Barbara- (D – CA)
19. Tester, Jon- (D – MT)
20. Feingold, Russell D.- (D – WI)
21. Sanders, Bernard- (I – VT)
22. Snowe, Olympia J.- (R – ME)
23. Cochran, Thad- (R – MS)
24  Nelson, E. Benjamin- (D – NE)
25. Roberts, Pat- (R – KS)
26. Salazar, Ken- (D – CO)
27 Crapo, Mike- (R – ID)
28. Stabenow, Debbie- (D – MI)
29. Conrad, Kent- (D – ND)