ENVIRONMENT AMERICA • January 19, 2023
On September 29, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that endangered species protections “may be warranted” for the American bumble bee. The announcement was a first step and welcome news. The agency also announced that a 12-month finding would follow. Fast forward 16 months, and we’re still anxiously awaiting the next step. American bumblebees once lazily buzzed over backyards, fields and meadows across our country. But it’s teetering on the brink of extinction.