US EPA marks National Pollinator Week, emphasizing commitment to protecting pollinators

On June 17, 2024, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan issued a proclamation announcing June 17-23, 2024, as National Pollinator Week. This year’s proclamation underscores EPA’s commitment to protecting pollinators from pesticides, including through mitigation measures for several pesticides and the upcoming issuance of the final Herbicide Strategy to protect over 900 federally threatened and endangered species, including pollinators.

″Pollinators are essential to human and ecological survival, with more than 150 food crops depending on pollinators in the United States alone,″ said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. ″They also help plants reproduce, which in turn helps keep the air we breathe clean, purifies the water we drink, and prevents erosion of the soils, protecting us from climate disasters. Now more than ever, we must act to protect them.″

EPA has taken many steps to address the potential effects of pesticides on pollinators. The agency proposed to register four new pesticide active ingredients that include protections for federally listed threatened or endangered species and for pollinators. EPA has also implemented measures to protect listed species and their critical habitats from the effects of three organophosphate insecticides. Those measures also help to protect pollinators.

This year, EPA expects to finalize the Herbicide Strategy, which will describe whether, how much, and where mitigations are needed to protect listed plant species and those listed species that depend on plants, including pollinators, from agricultural uses of most herbicides. EPA will use this strategy to proactively adopt mitigations as part of the registration of new herbicides and the reevaluation of currently registered herbicides – often years before EPA is required to adopt those mitigations under the Endangered Species Act.

In 2024, EPA also plans to release the first draft of its Insecticide Strategy focused on minimizing impacts to listed insect species, including many pollinators, for most insecticides.

Pollinator protection is everyone’s job. EPA remains committed to protecting pollinators from the effects of pesticides, and will continue working with our federal, state, and tribal partners, non-governmental organizations, and the public to support pollinator health and habitat.

Learn more about EPA’s pollinator protection efforts and how you can help pollinators by visiting Protecting Bees and Other Pollinators from Pesticides.