American bumblebees are a vital pollinator for wildflowers and crops, and their decline could have severe consequences for the environment. The species has completely vanished from eight states, including Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Oregon, Ben Turner reports for Live Science. The bumblebee species have declined by 99 percent in New York. In the Midwest and Southeast, population numbers have dropped by more than 50 percent.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials first conducted a 90-day review of the American bumblebee—along with the Siuslaw hairy-necked tiger beetle and the Long Valley speckled dace—and found that the species should be further studied to determine whether they should be added to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, per the Independent.
Depending on the results of a forthcoming year-long review, the American bumblebee could be legally protected under the ESA, which would provide rules and framework for saving the species from extinction, reports Live Science.
If the bee is placed under federal protection, farmers or developers who harm the insects could face up to $13,000 in fines each time one is killed, Live Science reports.
