Wild bees play a crucial role in maintaining natural areas.
They sustain plant communities that provide food and shelter
for many other animals. The fruits and seeds that pollinators
help produce are a major part of the diet of approximately
25 percent of birds and a vast array of mammals from
red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) to grizzly bears
(Ursus arctos). By protecting bees and their habitat,
wildlife managers can achieve their goal of preservation
and conservation of wildlife refuges and, in turn, sustain
ecosystem health.
Bees are also considered the most important group of pollinators
because of their efficient and versatile method of
pollination. Bee activities improve fruit size, enhance seed
production, and bring about genetic diversity. In 2000, the
total value of bee-pollinated crops was estimated at $18.9
billion, accomplished by a combination of managed honey
bees, wild honey bees and native bees. In 2000, native bees
pollinated roughly $3 billion worth of crops. With approximately
70 percent of the worlds plants requiring a pollinator,
naturally the wild bee is very busy.
As wildlife professionals talk more about tapping into the
potential of the wild bee, resources are being set aside to
achieve that goal. In 2000, about 4.5 million acres retired
from farmland service by the Department of Agricultures
Conservation Reserve Program was designated specifically
for wildlife, all of which can help pollinators. Over the spring
and summer of 2007, the Pollinator Protection Act and the
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of 2007 were introduced
and incorporated into the Farm Bill. The Pollinator Protection
Act calls for $89 million for federal funding for research and
grant programs at USDA over five years. Additionally, the
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act will use existing Farm Bill
conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program or the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program,
to strengthen native and managed pollinator habitats. The
Farm Bill provides aid for farmers and ranchers who want
to help wildlife in other ways, such as reducing the use of
toxic chemicals, emitting fewer pollutants, and reducing soil
erosion, as well as creating wildlife structures and sowing a
diversity of plants in conservation areas. The Conservation
Security Program in the Farm Bill has also been designed
to support contributions to stewardship and habitat and has
specific practices, such as the nectar corridor enhancement,
that may be used for pollinator conservation.
