Native Insect Conservation Program Leader Utah State University Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah is very early in its official efforts to address insect species conservation, yet the state is compelled to direct resources to help prevent species listings under the Endangered Species Act. The rare insect conservation program has had some initial successes through partnering with agencies and community science to better understand and address our at-risk insect species. In particular, these partnerships have facilitated a statewide effort to collect bumble bee distribution data for all native Utah species on a shoestring budget. These valuable data will be used to guide landscape and resource management, as well as fill critical data gaps that inform upcoming federal listing decisions on species such as the western bumble bee.
