Hillary Clinton: Clinton Calls for Action in Senate to Address Honeybee Decline

Asks Senate Committee on Agriculture and Senate Appropriations Committee to Address the Rapid Decline in Honeybee Colonies; Colony Collapse Disorder Threatening New York's Honeybee, Apple and Other Agricultural Industries

May 11, 2007 -- Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called on her colleagues on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Committee Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies to address the rapid decline in honeybee colonies in New York State and nationwide in the upcoming Farm Bill and Agricultural Appropriations Bill. In letters to both Committees, Senator Clinton pointed out that Colony Collapse Disorder that is decimating bee populations, has the potential to impact honey producers and fruit growers across the state and the nation.

"This is an unexplained crisis that threatens our honey producers and has already led to massive losses of bees and bee colonies. Not only will this impact the honey industry, it also has the potential to impact our fruit growers who need bees for pollination. I hope that we can address this issue in the upcoming Farm and Agricultural Appropriations Bills and take whatever action is needed to help our honey producers and prevent this situation from becoming even worse," Senator Clinton said.

Last month Senator Clinton joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Mike Johanns, asking the Secretary to provide answers on how the USDA is planning to address the increasingly threatening "colony collapse disorder," which has decimated bee colonies throughout the United States.

Copies of Senator Clinton's letters are below -

May 11, 2007

The Honorable Tom Harkin
Chairman
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
R-328A
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
Ranking Member
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
R-337
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Chambliss:

As you consider the upcoming Farm Bill I would like to bring an issue to your attention that is of considerable concern to farmers in New York and across the nation.

As you are no doubt aware, a new and unexplained condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is decimating bee colonies throughout the United States. CCD is causing some beekeepers to lose upwards of 90 percent of their bee colonies, and is causing serious reductions in the supplies of bees for essential commercial pollination. These severe losses are in addition to other problems such as higher production costs, mite infestations and unfairly traded imports that have been making it very difficult for beekeepers to operate profitably. If these alarming trends are allowed to continue, they will place at risk in excess of $14 billion in annual United States farm output that depends on bee pollination. Ultimately, the shortage of pollination services could impact the supply of healthful and affordable food for U.S. consumers.

America's beekeepers and their bees are an indispensable pillar of U.S. agriculture. Our nation's beekeepers provide essential pollination services for over 90 different food, seed and fiber crops, contributing over $14 billion of added agricultural value as documented by a Cornell University study in 2000. Crops that depend upon or benefit from honey bee pollination include alfalfa, almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, cherries, citrus, cotton, cranberries, kiwis, plums, pumpkins, seed crops, soybeans, squash, sunflowers and watermelons.

The effects of CCD are as prevalent in the state of New York as they are throughout the nation. According to local producers, there have been reports of severe losses in colonies, with many losses being reported of close to fifty percent, and some beekeepers reporting losses of nearly eighty percent. Critical to New York's apple production, there are concerns that the loss of bee colonies here in New York will not be able to be remediated in time for apple pollination. Some estimates have shown that nearly all the major beekeepers in the state of New York have lost more than 30 percent of their colonies to CCD.

I believe that reports of this disorder demand a swift response to identify the causes of the problem that threatens to not only impact our bee and honey growers but our fruit growers as well. We must determine the appropriate response to restore the health of our beekeeping industry. We must act quickly to preserve and promote our beekeeping industry.

I look forward to working with you to address this important issue in the Farm Bill.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

May 11, 2007

The Honorable Herb Kohl
Chairman
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies
129 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Robert Bennett
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies
129 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Kohl and Ranking Member Bennett:

As you consider the upcoming Farm Bill I would like to bring an issue to your attention that is of considerable concern to farmers in New York and across the nation.

As you are no doubt aware, a new and unexplained condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD ) is decimating bee colonies through out the United States . CCD is causing some beekeepers to lose upwards of 90 percent of their bee colonies, and is causing serious reductions in the supplies of bees for essential commercial pollination. These severe losses are in addition to other problems such as higher production costs, mite infestations and unfairly traded imports that have been making it very difficult for beekeepers to operate profitably. If these alarming trends are allowed to continue, they will place at risk in excess of $14 billion in annual United States farm output that depends on bee pollination. Ultimately, the shortage of pollination services could impact the supply of healthful and affordable food for U.S. consumers.

America's beekeepers and their bees are an indispensable pillar of U.S. agriculture. Our nation's beekeepers provide essential pollination services for over 90 different food, seed and fiber crops, contributing over $14 billion of added agricultural value as documented by a Cornell University study in 2000. Crops that depend upon or benefit from honey bee pollination include alfalfa, almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, cherries, citrus, cotton, cranberries, kiwis, plums, pumpkins, seed crops, soybeans, squash, sunflowers and watermelons.

The effects of CCD are as prevalent in the state of New York as they are throughout the nation. According to local producers, there have been reports of severe losses in colonies, with many losses being reported of close to fifty percent, and some beekeepers reporting losses of nearly eighty percent. Critical to New York's apple production, there are concerns that the loss of bee colonies here in New York will not be able to be remediated in time for apple pollination. Some estimates have shown that nearly all the major beekeepers in the state of New York have lost more than 30 percent of their colonies to CCD.

I believe that reports of this disorder demand a swift response to identify the causes of the problem that threatens to not only impact our bee and honey growers but our fruit growers as well. We must determine the appropriate response to restore the health of our beekeeping industry. We must act quickly to preserve and promote our beekeeping industry.

I look forward to working with you to address this important issue in the Farm Bill.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Source: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

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