I
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2913
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 28, 2007
Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Hastings of Florida, and Mr. Kuhl of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the administrative requirements for conservation programs administered by the Department of Agriculture to ensure a greater emphasis on increasing habitat for native and managed pollinators and establishing cropping systems, integrated pest management regimes, and other practices to protect native and managed pollinators, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Pollinator Habitat Protection Act of
2007
.
Giving pollinator habitat and protection a priority in conservation programs
Additional administrative requirement for conservation programs
Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
Native and managed pollinators
In carrying out any conservation program administered by the Secretary, except the farmland protection program, the Secretary shall establish a priority and provide incentives for—
increasing habitat for native and managed pollinators, especially native habitat; and
establishing cropping systems, integrated pest management regimes, and other practices to protect native and managed pollinators.
.
Designation of pollinator protection as national priority resource concern
Since increasing awareness about the
importance of pollinator protection to agricultural producers and ecosystem
health is a necessary step in facilitating pollinator stewardship, protection,
and habitat conservation, it is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of
Agriculture should designate pollinator protection as a national
priority resource concern
for conservation programs administered by the
Department of Agriculture.
Awareness and use of pollinator-friendly native plants
Since one of the obstacles for protecting and strengthening pollinator habitat is a chronic shortage of native plants, including seed and nursery stock for native plants, it is the sense of Congress that—
the Secretary of Agriculture should continue efforts to make nurseries and land managers aware of pollinator-friendly native plants; and
Plant Materials Centers of the Department of Agriculture should emphasize pollinator-beneficial native plantings for native and managed pollinator habitat.