III 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 747 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 20, 2024 Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Braun ) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States by designating June 16 through June 22, 2024, as National Pollinator Week .

Whereas pollinators like native bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and beetles play a vital role in agriculture throughout the United States and help to produce a healthy and affordable food supply while also maintaining the health and diversity of ecosystems; Whereas various native pollinator species help to reproduce at least 80 percent of flowering plants, making pollinators indispensable for sustaining the biodiversity of natural ecosystems; Whereas enhancing native pollinator and honey bee populations can result in improved and essential pollination services for neighboring land, including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems; Whereas it is in the strong economic interest of agricultural producers and consumers in the United States to help ensure healthy, sustainable, pollinator populations, as pollinators add more than $18,000,000,000 in revenue to crop production in the United States each year, including more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from native pollinators; Whereas pollinators also contribute to clean air and water, stable soil, and a diversity of wildlife needed for healthy and productive natural ecosystems; Whereas more than 1/4 of North American bumble bees are facing risk of extinction, while iconic species like the North American migratory monarch butterfly and the American bumble bee have declined by 85 percent and 90 percent respectively due to dwindling habitat, disease, and other threats; Whereas the Western monarch butterfly population has significantly declined from nearly 10,000,000 butterflies in the 1980s to fewer than 2,000 butterflies in 2020, and while numbers have made modest gains in the last few years, the population of this iconic species remains perilously small and vulnerable to yearly fluctuations; Whereas nearly 70 native pollinator species are listed by the Federal Government as threatened or endangered, with the rusty patched bumble bee, the Powesheik skipperling, and the Dakota skipper listed within the past decade; and Whereas declines in the health and population of native pollinators potentially pose a substantial threat to global food webs, ecological diversity, and human health: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) expresses support for the designation June 16 through June 22, 2024, as National Pollinator Week ; (2) acknowledges the significance that all types of pollinators play in sustaining agriculture, promoting biodiversity, and maintaining the overall health of natural ecosystems; (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe Pollinator Week with appropriate ceremonies and conservation and educational activities; and (4) intends to— (A) continue working to conserve native pollinator species and their various habitats; and (B) work to improve the overall understanding of the importance of native pollinators.