[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 747 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 747

   Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and 
 agriculture in the United States by designating June 16 through June 
               22, 2024, as ``National Pollinator Week''.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2024

    Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Braun) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

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                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and 
 agriculture in the United States by designating June 16 through June 
               22, 2024, as ``National Pollinator Week''.

Whereas pollinators like native bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and 
        beetles play a vital role in agriculture throughout the United States 
        and help to produce a healthy and affordable food supply while also 
        maintaining the health and diversity of ecosystems;
Whereas various native pollinator species help to reproduce at least 80 percent 
        of flowering plants, making pollinators indispensable for sustaining the 
        biodiversity of natural ecosystems;
Whereas enhancing native pollinator and honey bee populations can result in 
        improved and essential pollination services for neighboring land, 
        including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems;
Whereas it is in the strong economic interest of agricultural producers and 
        consumers in the United States to help ensure healthy, sustainable, 
        pollinator populations, as pollinators add more than $18,000,000,000 in 
        revenue to crop production in the United States each year, including 
        more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from native pollinators;
Whereas pollinators also contribute to clean air and water, stable soil, and a 
        diversity of wildlife needed for healthy and productive natural 
        ecosystems;
Whereas more than \1/4\ of North American bumble bees are facing risk of 
        extinction, while iconic species like the North American migratory 
        monarch butterfly and the American bumble bee have declined by 85 
        percent and 90 percent respectively due to dwindling habitat, disease, 
        and other threats;
Whereas the Western monarch butterfly population has significantly declined from 
        nearly 10,000,000 butterflies in the 1980s to fewer than 2,000 
        butterflies in 2020, and while numbers have made modest gains in the 
        last few years, the population of this iconic species remains perilously 
        small and vulnerable to yearly fluctuations;
Whereas nearly 70 native pollinator species are listed by the Federal Government 
        as threatened or endangered, with the rusty patched bumble bee, the 
        Powesheik skipperling, and the Dakota skipper listed within the past 
        decade; and
Whereas declines in the health and population of native pollinators potentially 
        pose a substantial threat to global food webs, ecological diversity, and 
        human health: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses support for the designation June 16 through 
        June 22, 2024, as ``National Pollinator Week'';
            (2) acknowledges the significance that all types of 
        pollinators play in sustaining agriculture, promoting 
        biodiversity, and maintaining the overall health of natural 
        ecosystems;
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        Pollinator Week with appropriate ceremonies and conservation 
        and educational activities; and
            (4) intends to--
                    (A) continue working to conserve native pollinator 
                species and their various habitats; and
                    (B) work to improve the overall understanding of 
                the importance of native pollinators.
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