[PCA] NEWS: White House Announces Presidential Memorandum for Pollinators

[Kwong, Olivia]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tom Van Arsdall <tva at pollinator.org>
Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2014 at 12:40 PM
Subject: [Pollinator] White House Announces Presidential Memorandum for
Pollinators
To: pollinator at nappc.org


[image: MEDIA RELEASE][image: Pollinator_notag]

*June 20, 2014*

*For Immediate Release*

              Tom Van Arsdall  TVA at pollinator.org 703.509.4746


           Laurie Davies Adams LDA at pollinator.org 415.362.1137



*Pollinator Week 2014 Culminates in Presidential Memorandum*

*Leaders across the Nation Mobilize for Pollinators*



The *White House* today announced the first comprehensive pollinator
initiative ever created across the federal government.  This morning *President
Barrack Obama* signed a *Presidential* *Memorandum* to bring federal
actions to the pollinator issue that will provide increased collaboration,
solid science, practical management, and essential research goals. The
Presidential Memorandum works within existing budgets, and through
coordinated efforts has the potential to increase efficiencies and
effectiveness. The *Pollinator Partnership *acted as a resource to the
White House for many months as the White House Executive Office brought
stakeholders together and canvassed federal departments and agencies. Among
the directives in the memorandum are actions increasing forage on federal
lands, assessing the effects of pesticides including neonicotinoids,
including native seeds in post-fire restoration, landscaping federal
facilities for pollinators, educating the public about pollinators, and
more. All details are at http://pollinator.org/PR_whitehouse.htm.



For the Pollinator Partnership, the memorandum is the result of a nearly
20-year campaign to increase awareness and action for pollinators and marks
a new dawn of wise land management across the country. The Presidential
Memorandum is a first for comprehensive terrestrial conservation and for
pollinators – it demonstrates real leadership on the part of the President
and his science team.  Importantly, President Obama is joined in supporting
pollinators by the bi-partisan list of *45 governors* who have signed
proclamations for *National Pollinator Week* supported by millions of
constituents across the country who care about this issue. *Pollinator
Partnership’s Executive Director*, *Laurie Davies Adams*, noted “This
Presidential action shows visionary leadership and offers practical
measures that will help pollinators now; it is a triumph for people, plants
and pollinators.”



Details about the Presidential Memorandum are being shared today at a
Pollinator Briefing in Washington, DC organized by the Pollinator
Partnership in collaboration with the *Congressional Pollinator Protection
Caucus (CP2C)* headed by of *Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) *and *Rep. Jeff
Denham (R-CA), co-chairs *of *CP2C.  *The briefing (3 PM, 1310 Longworth
House Office Building) features* Dr. Anne Kinsinger, US Geological Survey,
Earl Stewart, U.S. Forest Service *and Laurie Davies Adams, discussing the
Presidential Memorandum and public-private efforts to support pollinators.
Adams introduced the newly-formed *Business for Bees*, a collaboration to
support pollinators that brings “business know-how” to cooperative
conservation and includes *Toyota North America, the Boeing Company,
General Mills, Greif, Burt’s Bees, *among others.  See
http://pollinator.org/bizforbees.htm for details.



Also discussed at the briefing will be the *Highways BEE Act *(
www.pollinator.org/BEEAct.htm), introduced by Reps. Denham and Hastings
will be discussed. The briefing will connect hundreds of Congressional
staff members and help them understand and recognize the importance of
pollinators to our world.  They will hear first-hand about the efforts that
the federal government has planned.



There will be an informational break following the Congressional Briefing
featuring *Burt’s Bees Lip Balm* and *Häagen Dazs* ice cream – perfect
pollinated products to cap Pollinator Week in the Capitol, where the
nation’s leaders are responding to the needs of pollinators with
comprehensive and meaningful actions.



*Pollinator Week* has grown exponentially in scope each year since its
inception in 2007.  This year, *U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack,
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and 45 governors* designated
June 16-22 through proclamations—the most ever—as a week to celebrate and
protect the nation’s pollinating animals.  A complete list and scanned
versions of the proclamations are available at
http://pollinator.org/npw_events.htm).  “It is really satisfying to see how
many individuals in every state got involved in this project,” commented*
Kelly Rourke* of the *Pollinator Partnership*, who coordinated the campaign
to engage states.



Pollinators, like bees, butterflies, birds and other animals, bring us one
in every three bites of food and maintain our environment. Pollinators are
responsible for about $16 billion in U.S. agricultural production and
world-wide human food production at $190 billion. Pollinators form the
underpinning of a healthy and sustainable future for food and the
environment, but have shown disturbing signs of decline.



Efforts during Pollinator Week, and indeed year-round, are working to
reverse and prevent pollinator declines. * Sunny Boyd*, of the *Pollinator
Partnership *remarked “Our steady drumbeat through the years has brought
understanding and commitment across the country on a local as well as a
national level. Pollinator Week helps to increase the discussion of all the
issues, from community beekeeping regulations to the elimination of the
impacts of pesticides on pollinators.”



###



*ABOUT THE POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2)*

Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3
non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection,
and conservation of all pollinating animals. Pollinator Partnership’s
actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration,
policy, and research.  P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts,
memberships and donations from any interested party.  Its policies are
science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any
donor.  To make a donation, or for information on events during Pollinator
Week, visit www.pollinator.org.



R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Director of Public Affairs

   Pollinator Partnership <http://www.pollinator.org/>

   Cell:  (703) 509-4746

   tva at pollinator.org
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