RE: H.R. 4079 Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021

Dear Legislator:

As your constituent, I urge you in the strongest terms to support H.R. 4079 Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021, introduced by U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). This Bill cancels specific bee-toxic pesticides including neonicotinoids (also known as neonics), along with establishing a Pollinator Protection Board to assist in the development of an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and pollinator habitat.

Nearly one-third of the food we eat requires insect pollination, and the most effective pollinators are bees. Unfortunately, bee populations face serious threats and are declining at an alarming rate. One-quarter of North American native bee species are considered at increasing risk of extinction. In 2017, the rusty patched bumblebee, once abundant in over half of the country, was the very first bee in the continental U.S. to be declared federally endangered (joining seven species of Hawaiian bees). In 2021, Franklin's bumblebee was declared endangered, and the American bumblebee is currently under review for an endangered listing.

A major threat to bees is the widespread use of agricultural chemicals. Pesticides that kill unwanted insects also kill beneficial bees and the plants they need to survive. Scientific studies have conclusively linked the use of neonics to the decline of honeybees, wild bees and other pollinators. As systemic insecticides, neonics are especially dangerous because they travel - and linger - throughout the entire plant, and even affect soil and water.

In addition to catastrophic effects on the ecosystem, the economic impact of vanishing bees is staggering. Bees contribute billions of dollars to the agricultural productivity of the United States every year. In North America, pollination is integral to the production of at least ninety commercial crops, which account for fifteen to thirty percent of the average American diet.

The EU Member States have recently recognized the threat posed by neonics and severely restricted their use. As my elected official, you have the power to act in the best interest of the American people. This is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue. Protecting pollinators is protecting the health of our food supply. Please cosponsor H.R. 4079 Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021. Our future depends on you.

With fierce optimism,

[Your name]