Anonymous,

Bees are dying off, and we're running out of time to save them.

But scientists just lost a valuable tool for understanding the crisis bees face: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to stop collecting data for its crucial Honey Bee Colonies report.1

Tell the USDA: Stand up for vital research to help save the bees.

Last winter, honeybee colonies kept by commercial beekeepers declined by nearly 40 percent -- a loss rate that experts describe as "unsustainable."2 Some parts of the country have recently seen die-off rates as high as 80 or 90 percent.3

So much of our ecosystem -- including our food supply -- relies on the vital role bees play as pollinators. Their absence is already being felt: the state of California actually had to import millions of bees to support its almond farms.4

Saving the bees should be a top priority for anyone who cares about our planet's future. But in July, the USDA suspended data collection for its annual Honey Bee Colonies report. This is at least the third time the administration has suspended bee-related research.5

Honeybee research is critical for scientists working to understand and solve the problem of bee die-offs. Tell the USDA: Help save the bees by reinstating the Honey Bee Colonies research.

Thank you for making it all possible.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Bassett
Senior Associate

1. Sam Fossum, "Honeybees hit by Trump budget cuts," CNN, July 6, 2019.
2. Julia Jacobo, "Nearly 40% decline in honey bee population last winter 'unsustainable,' experts say," ABC News, July 9, 2019.
3. Steve McDaniel, "The bees are dying," The Baltimore Sun, February 7, 2019.
4. Amicia Ramsey, "Millions of bees transported to the Central Valley for almond season," Bakersfield Now, accessed February 12, 2019.
5. Sam Fossum, "Honeybees hit by Trump budget cuts," CNN, July 6, 2019.