Sponsor
Jeff Merkley
Senator · D-OR
Senator · D-OR
The resolution seeks to restore native pollinators to protect agriculture, food security, and ecosystems, but doing so may require federal resources and create costs, restrictions, and regulatory uncertainty for farmers and landowners.
Farmers and crop producers would likely see improved pollination and higher yields for many specialty and commodity crops (protecting income across 100+ crops valued at roughly $18 billion annually).
Middle‑class and low‑income consumers would benefit from a more stable and affordable food supply as pollinator‑dependent crop productivity is maintained.
Rural communities and broader ecosystems would gain from restored native pollinators through stronger biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g., wildlife support, soil stability, and water quality).
Taxpayers and farmers may face higher costs because implementing pollinator conservation could require new federal spending and regulatory compliance.
Conservation measures (habitat protections or pesticide restrictions) could limit certain farming practices or land uses, imposing operational changes and costs on producers and rural landowners.
Landowners near newly listed or recovered pollinator species could face regulatory uncertainty and restrictions while recovery plans are developed and implemented.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Records congressional findings that native pollinators are critical to crops and ecosystems and documents severe species declines and extinction risk.
Official title: Recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States by designating June 15 through June 22, 2025, as "National Pollinator Week".
Introduced June 18, 2025 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress June 18, 2025
Recognizes and records congressional findings that native pollinators (bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats, beetles, and managed honey bees) are essential to U.S. agriculture, reproducing the majority of flowering plants and contributing billions of dollars to crop production, while noting severe population declines and extinction risk for many species. The resolution highlights documented population collapses (for example, steep declines in monarchs and certain bumble bees), the number of listed threatened or endangered pollinators, and warns that continued declines threaten food webs, biodiversity, and human health. The resolution does not create new programs or funding; it formally states scientific and economic findings to inform lawmakers, agencies, researchers, and the public about the urgency of pollinator conservation and the potential consequences for agriculture and ecosystems.