Center for Pollinator Conservation

  Earlier this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched the Center for Pollinator Conservation to address the decline of pollinator populations across North America. The national center will contribute science, provide decision support, and coordinate and share best practices with land managers for overcoming some of the biggest challenges facing pollinators. “The Center for Pollinator Conservation will advance our existing conservation efforts and welcome all those interested in enhancing pollinator populations,” said Service Director Martha Williams. “Given the importance of pollinators to food security, opening this center will improve how we work as an agency, dedicate shared resources and provide a space where we can engage and unite with others to conserve pollinators.” The center will initially launch as a virtual collaborative space and will focus on three key themes: highlighting the importance of pollinators; understanding and responding to threats; and coordinating action to reverse declines. Anticipated work for the center’s first year includes conducting assessments on the current state of pollinator conservation and science across the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; listening to agency programs and other partners across the country about how the center might function, and what it might provide; and developing mid-and longer-term strategies for the center and its work, including the announcement of a physical hub for its operations. During the past 30 years, the scientific and conservation communities have documented a steep decline of pollinator populations. Examples include the decline of the American bumble bee by 90%, the monarch butterfly by 80% and the Allen’s hummingbird ...