How the White House plans to save the bees

On May 19th, the White House revealed the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and other Pollinators, a plan for how the Obama administration intends to save the bees (and the butterflies). According to the strategy, the main goals include:

• Reduce honey bee colony losses during winter to no more than 15% within 10 years. 
• Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million butterflies occupying an area of approximately 15 acres in the overwintering grounds in Mexico, through domestic/international actions and public-private partnerships, by 2020.
• Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years through Federal actions and public/private partnerships.  

Some environmentalist groups have criticized the strategy, though many agree that "restoring bee habitat is a good place to start". Critics argue that the strategy does not outline any future plans to limit harmful neonicotinoids in commercially used pesticides.

To learn more about how President Obama is helping develop sustainable initiatives (including a pollinator garden), read more at The Washington Post and NPR.org