[PCA] The Xerces Society- American Farmers Create 41, 000 Acres of Wildflower Habitat for Bees in 2010

Mon Nov 29 18:26:58 CST 2010

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*American Farmers Create 41,000 Acres of Wildflower Habitat for Bees in 2010
*

*For Immediate Release: November 29th, 2010***

Contacts:
*Kathy Kellison*, Executive Director, Partners for Sustainable Pollination,
k.kellison at earthlink.net, (707) 321-4711

*Eric Mader*, Assistant Pollinator Program Director, The Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation, eric at xerces.org, (503) 232-6639

PORTLAND, Ore. - Responding to the ongoing decline of honey bees and wild
pollinators, in 2010 American farmers enrolled in a USDA program to plant
41,231 acres of wildflowers.

This effort, a nationwide attempt to increase the availability of pollen and
nectar for beleaguered pollinators, is made possible by new financial
incentives established as part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Nearly 4,600 farmers signed up for the incentives, which were offered for
the first time in the program's 25 year history.

CRP is the largest private landowner conservation program in the United
States, with up to 32 million acres eligible for enrollment in long-term
conservation easements. In exchange for annual rental payments,
participating farmers agree to take highly erodible land out of crop
production, and establish permanent vegetation to protect topsoil and
provide wildlife cover. The program, which is administered by the USDA's
Farm Service Agency (FSA), typically contracts with farmers to maintain
these easements for 10 to 15 years.

"The new wildflower planting incentives represent a monumental shift in
CRP," said Eric Mader, Assistant Pollinator Program Director at The Xerces
Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a pollinator advocacy group based in
Portland, Ore. "In the past, most CRP land was maintained in non-native
grasses, which had limited value to wildlife. This change will help
pollinators, provide shelter for pheasants, songbirds and endangered
butterflies, and can provide global environmental benefits by encouraging
deep-rooted prairie wildflowers that help sequester carbon."

Under the current CRP application process, landowners who want to
participate are ranked against one another to prioritize enrollments that
offer the most conservation benefits. By agreeing to plant at least 10% of
the CRP acres in native wildflowers, farmers receive a higher score and are
more likely to be selected as program participants.

As a result, nearly 20,000 acres of new CRP pollinator habitat is being
established in Colorado alone, with total commitments in Idaho, Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington ranging
from 1,200 to 3,200 acres.

This added emphasis on pollinators makes CRP the largest bee conservation
effort in North America. While diseases and pesticide use have been
implicated in the decline of honey bees, native bumble bees and butterflies,
experts also point to habitat loss as a major factor. Organizations like the
Xerces Society and the California-based Partners for Sustainable Pollination
(PFSP) hope that CRP can help reverse that trend.

To meet a similar anticipated demand for new pollinator habitat enrollments
in 2011, the USDA is consulting with groups like the Xerces Society, PFSP
and the University of Minnesota's Dr. Marla Spivak, a honey bee expert and
2010 MacArthur Fellow, to identify the best wildflowers and planting methods
for each region of the country.

The annual value of bee pollinated crops in the U.S. is estimated at $20
billion, and includes alfalfa, sunflower, canola, apples, almonds, citrus,
berries, pumpkins and other economically important commodities.

*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 or to donate
to the Society, please visit
www.xerces.org<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tnjebhdab&et=1103997921612&s=4347&e=0016YuG8qGZiVUSk6qudYax_hF7ioOo7js7-Zy2C0tsiH1qr7GjBfHj4rlm9vwZwB0EBxcx3M19NscWTByQ3HNj7bBmIqeu8JXinQQjslmJQAA=>
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*PHOTO CREDIT*

By: Katharina Ullmann

The Xerces Society • 4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97215 USA •
tel 503.232.6639
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