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Livestream Q&A ViewAttendees 8

Program Symposium

Understanding and Responding to Insect Declines

Variability in federal and state laws impedes efforts to address insect declines across the United States

Tuesday, November 2, 2021
4:27 PM - 4:42 PM MT
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Four Seasons Ballroom 1
In-Person Livestream

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Scott H. Black

    Executive Director
    Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
    Portland, Oregon

Federal legislation such as the Endangered Species Act and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) have a direct impact on conservation of insects in the US. State endangered species laws also have the potential to conserve imperiled insects, however, several state wildlife agencies lack authority over insects, and are thus unable to address their conservation needs. This talk will provide an overview of federal and state laws as they relate to insect conservation. It will also detail a case study on the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), which is currently the subject of a legal appeal regarding whether the state of California has authority to protect insects under this law. In 2019 the California Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed protecting four California bumble bee species under CESA. Subsequently a federal judge ruled against the State of California stating that CESA cannot protect insects. Insects make up more than three quarters of all life, yet insects cannot be protected by many state laws that aim to conserve and recover wildlife. This talk will provide ideas on how we can level the playing field for conservation of insects under federal and state law.