Help Save the Rusty-Patch Bumblebee

I urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enact immediate protection for the rusty-patch bumblebee as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The rusty-patch bumblebee is on the brink of extinction. It has disappeared from 87 percent of its historic range and by as much as 95 percent in recent decades. This is a big problem for crops like cranberries, plums, apples, alfalfa and onion seeds because the rusty-patch bumblebee is excellent at pollinating them.

Their rapid decline is linked to a variety of factors including habitat loss, climate change, parasites, diseases and pesticide use. Five years ago Canada listed the rusty-patch bumblebee as endangered and just this year, Vermont added it to its endangered species list. We need the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help the rusty-patch bumblebee all across the country by giving it endangered species status nationwide. A threatened listing for the rusty-patch bumblebee is one step we can take to help to protect this important pollinator for future generations.