Bark Beetles in Western North America
As highlighted in an article in the most recent issue of our membership magazine, Wings, forest die-off associated with bark beetles is a major concern across western North America. A recently released report, Insects and Roadless Forests: A Scientific Review of Causes, Consequences, and Management Alternatives, suggests that bark beetle outbreaks will not lead to greater fire risk, and that tree thinning and logging is not likely to alleviate future epidemics of bark beetles. The report also indicates that tree cutting in roadless forests is unlikely to keep houses safe from wildfire. Findings from the report apply to millions of forest acres of lodgepole pine and mixed spruce and fir across North America.

The report was written by Xerces executive director Scott Black; Dominik Kulakowski, professor of geography and biology at Clark University in Massachusetts; Barry Noon, professor of wildlife ecology at Colorado State University; and Dominick DellaSala, president and chief scientist of the National Center for Conservation Science and Policy.

Pollinator Conservation Strategy for Yolo County
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program recently released the Yolo Natural Heritage Program Pollinator Conservation Strategy. This first-of-its-kind conservation strategy, written by Xerces Society scientists, provides policy makers and land managers with information vital to securing the future of pollinators in California’s Yolo County.

Each of the six major landscapes in the county—agricultural, grassland, woodland, shrubland and scrub, riparian and wetland, and urban and barren—are affected by threats to native pollinators. The strategy summarizes these threats and identifies conservation measures that can be taken to protect pollinators. Although written for a specific county in California, the threats and strategies discussed are relevant for other states. Downloaded the Yolo pollinator conservation strategy.

New Resources for Pollinator Conservation Online
The Pollinator Conservation Resource Center on our website offers a wealth of information about protecting and providing forage and nesting habitat for bees and other pollinating insects. Now lists of suppliers of native plants and seeds have been added for each region of the United States, making this the most comprehensive source for advice about pollinator conservation.

Also new to the website is a page about organic farming and bees. Although organic farming is widely considered to be good for the environment, it is not without impact, and our Organic Farming Toolkit offers fact sheets and guidelines, including

Organic farming practices: Reducing harm to pollinators

Organic-approved pesticides: Minimizing risks to pollinators; and

Tunnel Nest Construction and Management.

An Expanded Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels
The Xerces Society has recently published the second edition of Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest, by Ethan Nedeau, Al Smith, Jen Stone, and Xerces endangered species program director Sarina Jepsen. This field guide provides an introduction to freshwater mussels west of the Rocky Mountains.

The expanded publication discusses the anatomy, life cycle, habitat, ecosystem role, diversity, distribution, human use, and management of freshwater mussels. It also offers updated information on the status and taxonomy of western freshwater mussels and a detailed bibliography. A profile describes each mussel, where it occurs, and its life history and habitat needs, and provides conservation guidance.

Purchase a paper copy of Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest for $8.00 or download a PDF for free.

Protecting Bumble Bees and a Stonefly
Recent work by Xerces Society staff and Dr. Robbin Thorp of the University of California at Davis has established that at least four species of North American bumble bees are in steep decline; two of these species teeter on the brink of extinction. A major threat is the spread of diseases from commercially reared bees shipped throughout the United States.

In January, the Xerces Society submitted a citizen petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requesting a ban on the movement of bumble bees outside of their native ranges and, for interstate movement within their native ranges, a requirement that bumble bees be certified as disease free. The petition, submitted in collaboration with Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Dr. Thorp, was supported by more than sixty scientists, including the world’s top bumble bee experts.

The Society also led a coalition of scientists and conservationists to request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extend Endangered Species Act protection to the Arapahoe snowfly (Capnia arapahoe). Known from only two small tributaries of the Cache la Poudre River in the Front Range of northern Colorado, the Arapahoe snowfly is critically imperiled. Threats come from a variety of activities that impact the creeks and their water quality. These include livestock grazing, logging, erosion from roads, pollution from insecticides and septic systems, stream de-watering, and mountain-biking trails that cross and re-cross the creeks.

Snowflies (sometimes called winter stoneflies) require cool, clear rivers and streams, and are excellent biological indicators of watershed health. Protection under the Endangered Species Act would ensure careful management not only to sustain the Arapahoe snowfly but also to maintain the diversity of wildlife that this watershed supports.

2010 DeWind Award Winners
The Xerces Society congratulates the 2010 winners of the Joan Mosenthal DeWind Awards, given annually to university students who are engaged in research that will further the conservation of butterflies and moths.

Lindsay Crawford (University of Western Ontario) will investigate how habitat fragmentation and butterfly genetics interact to influence survival of the threatened bog copper (Lycaena epixanthe) in southern Ontario.

Jill Sherwood (Iowa State University) will study how climate change affects interactions between the Clodius parnassian (Parnassius clodius) and its caterpillar hostplant, Dicentra uniflora, a species of bleeding heart.