Apr 6, 2022

USDA Taking Nominations for Pollinator Subcommittee

The USDA on April 6 said it is soliciting nominations for members to serve on its newly formed USDA National Pollinator Subcommittee.

The subcommittee will be part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board, which provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA’s science agencies and university collaborators on food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics priorities and policies, according to a news release.

The NAREEE Advisory Board’s Pollinator Subcommittee will provide input on annual USDA strategic pollinator priorities and goals and will make pollinator health-related recommendations to strengthen USDA pollinator research efforts, according to the release. USDA is both a major funder and conductor of pollinator research, with research initiatives spanning across five USDA mission areas.

NAREEE Board members play an important advisory role for USDA’s science agencies as they shape and advance the large-scale, collaborative research initiatives needed to address tough challenges that our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and consumers face, according to the USDA.

USDA is seeking nominations for subcommittee members from individuals with diverse expertise in pollinator health. USDA’s research is organized by five major study areas: status and trends (for example, pollinator inventory and monitoring, economics and social sciences); pests and pathogens (both established and emerging); environmental stressors (e.g., weather stress, pesticide exposure, migratory and stocking density stress); forage, habitat, and nutrition; and genetics and breeding.

USDA expects to appoint seven new Pollinator Subcommittee members in accordance with the federal statute. Candidates selected to the Pollinator Subcommittee may serve 1–3 years with terms anticipated to start in July 2022.

NAREEE is accepting nomination packages from now until May 31, 2022, and should be sent by email to nareee@usda.gov. The Federal Register Notice is available online. For information on how to apply visit the NAREEE website.