June 19, 2008-Signatories to Date

The Honorable A.G. Kawamura, Secretary
California Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street
Sacramento, California 95814

RE: Petition to CDFA to Convene California Ag Pollinator Habitat Task Force

Dear Mr. Secretary:

The undersigned organizations and individuals petition the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) to convene a task force of qualified stakeholders charged with identifying ways to enhance habitat in California for managed honeybees and other pollinators of California's agricultural crops, with the goal of 500,000 acres of additional ag pollinator habitat on and around agricultural lands.

Honeybees, other pollinators and pollination services represent a critical component of sustainable agriculture in California. Pollination services are essential for producers of almonds and a host of other specialty crops in California, totaling several billion dollars annually.

Honeybees, beekeepers, the pollination services they provide, and the growers who depend on them, are at serious risk due to a number of major factors--including mites, diseases, and notably a major deficit of pollinator forage in California.

Increasing 'bee pasture' and other pollinator habitat on and around agricultural lands where pollination services are needed is an important tool that can be used to improve the health of honeybees and other pollinators. A task force can facilitate needed dialog and foster voluntary ag pollinator habitat partnership efforts involving growers, beekeepers and scientists, in concert with targeted incentives.

The attached Exhibit provides more information about the role of bee pasture and other ag pollinator habitats in improving the health and productivity of honeybees and other pollinators. Task force participants could include growers, beekeepers, scientists, native pollinator experts, California CDFA and USDA program managers, and public land managers.

We would be pleased to work with CDFA to establish such a task force and work together toward enhancing ag pollinator habitat in California. If you have questions or would like to convene an exploratory meeting of interested stakeholder leaders, please contact Ms. Kathy Kellison, Executive Director, Partners for Sustainable Pollination, at (707) 321-4711.

Respectfully Submitted,

Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA
American Beekeeping Federation, Inc., Troy Fore, Executive Director
American Honey Producers Association, Mark Brady, President
California Certified Organic Farmers
California State Beekeepers Association, Jackie Parks Burris, President
Community Alliance with Family Farmers, David Runsten, Executive Director
Dan Cummings, Olivarez Honey Bees, Inc. and Almond Grower
The Honorable Noreen Evans, California State Assembly member, Seventh District
Serge Labesque, Beekeeper, Glen Ellen, CA
Eric Mussen, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, University of California-Davis
Randy Oliver, Commercial Beekeeper, Researcher, Grass Valley, CA
Partners for Sustainable Pollination, Santa Rosa, CA, Kathy Kellison, Executive Director
San Francisco Beekeepers Association, Peter Sinton, President
Sonoma County Beekeepers Association
Sonoma County Farm Bureau
Joe Traynor, Manager, Scientific Ag Co., Bakersfield, CA
The Xerces Society, Mace Vaughan, Conservation Director

Attachment