TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The rusty patched bumblebee on Tuesday became the first officially endangered bee species in the continental U.S., overcoming objections from business interests and a last-minute delay by the Trump administration.
One of many bee types that have suffered steep population declines, the rusty patched has disappeared from about 90 percent of its range in the past 20 years. It previously was common across the East Coast and much of the Midwest, where it played a crucial role as a pollinator of crops and wild plants.
Its listing as an endangered species means the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will devise a plan for returning the bee to “a healthy and secure condition,” the U.S. Department of Interior said. “We will work with stakeholders to ensure collaborative conservation among landowners, farmers, industry, and developers in the areas where the species is native.”
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, which filed the petition that triggered the government’s consideration of the matter, said it was “thrilled to see one of North America’s most endangered species receive the protection it needs.”
“Now that the Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the rusty patched bumblebee as endangered, it stands a chance of surviving the many threats it faces,” said Sarina Jepsen, the group’s director of endangered species.
Scientists say disease, pesticide exposure, habitat loss and climate change are among possible reasons for the decline of the bee, named for the rusty reddish patch on the backs of workers and males. Most of the grasslands and tallgrass prairies where they once thrived have been converted to farms or urban areas.
Advocates said they hoped the recovery plan would also help other struggling pollinators, including bees and the monarch butterfly.
The bee’s endangered listing, approved by the service shortly before President Obama left office, had been scheduled to take effect Feb. 10. But the Trump administration, which has pledged to pare back federal regulations, postponed the listing until Tuesday. Some environmental groups feared it would be canceled.
The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit over the delay, saying it had been ordered without required public notice and comment. On Tuesday, the group said the administration had “reversed course and listed the rusty patched bumblebee as an endangered species just in the nick of time.”
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