North American Pollinator Protection Campaign

The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) is a multifaceted organization of academics, government officials, policy makers, and industry stakeholders working towards pollinator conservation in North America.

NAPPC works in coordination with existing local, national, and international pollinator protection plans that focus on individual species, genera, families, or classes of animals. The Campaign also coordinates with existing projects that address specific pollinator habitats or migratory corridors. Such plans include but are not limited to Bat Conservation International’s Management Plan, the Plant Conservation Alliance’s Plan, and the Sao Paulo Declaration on Pollinators [1].

NAPPC complements these and other pollinator conservation efforts in that it: 1) Focuses on pollinator protection throughout the tri-national region comprising the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and 2) Addresses a variety of species including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. NAPPC will coordinate with existing pollinator protection plans to avoid duplication, leverage existing resources to maximize effectiveness and where possible replicate proposals in new venues. The NAPPC Action Plan builds on current scientific research concerning pollinators and pollinator habitats and seeks to promote and support additional pollinator research.

Pollinators in Peril

Today, possible declines in the health and population of pollinators pose a significant threat to the integrity of biodiversity, to global food webs, and to human health. Factors which could contribute to declines include: improper use of pesticides and herbicides; habitat fragmentation, loss, and degradation causing a reduction of food sources and sites for mating, nesting, roosting, and migration; aggressive competition from non-native species; disease, predators, and parasites; climate change; and lack of floral diversity.

The importance of pollinator services to ecosystem and economic health is well documented (^[1]). Animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops(^[2][3][4]) Domestic honeybees pollinate approximately $10 billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year ^[5]. Bee poisonings from pesticides result in annual losses of $14.3 million ^[6]. Pollinators support biodiversity, as there is a positive correlation between plant diversity and pollinator diversity (^[7][8][9]).

The elimination, replacement or reduction of a specific species of pollinator may result in the decline of a specific plant species, which in turn may affect relative plant abundance, and hence community dynamics (^[10][11][12]) and impact wild animals and humans that depend on those plants (^[13][14]).

Mission

The major goal of this alliance of pollinator researchers, conservation and environmental groups, private industry, and state and federal agencies is to develop and implement an action plan to: 1)Coordinate local, national, and international action projects in the areas of pollinator research, education and awareness, conservation and restoration, policies and practices, and special partnership initiatives; 2) Facilitate communication among stakeholders, build strategic coalitions, and leverage existing resources; and 3) Demonstrate a positive measurable impact on the populations and health of pollinating animals within five years.

History

In recognition of the significance of a stable pollinator population, the Pollinator Partnership (formerly the Coevolution Institute) collaborating with the [National Fish & Wildlife Foundation][2] established the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) in 1999.

Since its founding, the NAPPC has been instrumental in focusing attention on the plight of pollinators and the need to protect them throughout the tri-national region comprising the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Two such efforts were the NAPPC Strategic Planning Conferences at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. These two conferences resulted in an ambitious but vitally important and scientifically sound blueprint for pollinator protection.

Success and Accomplishments

U.S. Postal Service introduces a "Pollination" stamp series for release in June 2007 U.S. Senate passes a Resolution to protect pollinators and designates June 24–30, 2007 National Pollinator Week New Pollinator Curriculum: Nature's Partners, A Comprehensive Pollinator Curriculum for Grades 3-6 [3] First-ever Pollinator Provision written into the 2008 Farm Bill.

Pollinator Awards

Each year, NAPPC and the Polliantor Partnership present awards to individuals whoes actions have made them chamipions for polliantors in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Past awardees include:

2009 Juan Francisco Ornelas, Ph.D, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexico Homer Woodward; Jasper Wyman and Son, Canada; Sam Earnshaw, Community Alliance with Family Farmers- see his write up in Santa Cruz Sentinel Honorable Earl Blumenauer, U.S. House of Representatives

2008 José Sarakhan, Ph. D. UNAM, Mexico; Kevin Carver, Prince Edward Island, Canada; Dave White, NRCS – Montana State Conservationist

2007 José Ignacio Cuadriello Aguilar, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico; Vicki Beard, City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Jim Wiker, Illinois Natural History Survey

2006 Jim Dyer, Environment Canada; Francisco Molina, Ph.D., National University of Mexico; Betsy Croker, Ph.D., Senate Committee on Agriculture; Vincent J. Tepedino, Ph.D., USDA

2005 Dale Bosworth, U.S. Forest Service; Bruce Knight, USDA NRCS; Ron Krystynak, Canadian Embassy; Don Pedro Cahun Uh, Tihosuco, Mexico

References

1. ^ Sobeich and Savignano, 2000
2. ^ Buchmann and Nabhan, 1996
3. ^ Free, 1970 in Tepedino 1979
4. ^ McGregor, 1976 in Tepedino, 1993
5. ^ Watanabe, 1994
6. ^ Pimental et al., 1992 in Ingram et al., 1996
7. ^ Heithaus, 1974 in Tepedino, 1979
8. ^ Moldenke, 1975 in Tepedino, 1979
9. ^ del Moral and Standley, 1979 in Tepedino, 1979
10. ^ Tepedino, 1979
11. ^ Buchmann and Nabhan, 1966
12. ^ USEPA, 1998
13. ^ Buchhmann and Nabhan, 1996
14. ^ Kevan, 1977 in Allen-Wardell et al., 1998