The ABC was among several stakeholders invited to initial White House meetings discussing challenges to the health of honey bees and other pollinators and the type of issues that should be addressed in a federal strategy.

The ABC also participated in a Varroa mite summit and bee nutrition summit, both hosted by USDA.

One of the three goals of the national strategy is to restore and enhance seven million acres of pollinator forage on public and private lands over the next five years.

In order to reduce losses and increase forage, the national strategy aims to better align research priorities and outreach to address these specific goals for pollinator health.

Federal agencies involved in the strategy include:

• USDA Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which have a research orientation;
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides incentives for growers to develop pollinator habitat;
• Farm Service Agency, which administers the Conservation Reserve Program and other crop-related programs that impact pollinator forage;
• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, tasked with finding opportunities where honey bee hives could be situated on public lands for expanded forage opportunities; and
• Department of Defense, which will look at incorporating measures to encourage and enhance pollinator habitat at their sites and facilities.