b'the ESA. less time for foraging due to Once proposed species are listedhigh temperatures, and in the Federal Register, any interestedasynchronous flower-person can comment and provide addi- ing plant and bumble tional information on the proposal duringbee spring emer-a 60-day comment period and submitgence.statements at any public hearings. TheThe RPBBs USFWS also promotes awareness ofendangered status proposals through news releases, specialhas not caused mailings and by informing the scientificany limitations on community. Public hearings are heldfarming and sight-in cases of high public interest or if anings of the RPBBKainterested party asks the USFWS to do sohave increased. r nwithin 45 days of the proposal. erbAll information received in public com- Butterflies lu ements and testimony is analyzed duringWhile not historically bufinal rulemaking. A final listing rule gener- valued for pollinatingtt erflally goes into effect 30 days after publica- agricultural crops likeytion in the Federal Register.bee species, there are a lot Once a species is officially added toof butterflies on the endan-the Endangered Species List, protec- gered species list. One example tive measures apply, such as protectionis the Karner blue butterfly. The Karner from adverse effects of federal activities;blue butterfly is very dependent on blue restrictions on taking, transporting, orlupine, as blue lupine is where the but- Gselling a species; authority for the USFWSterfly lays its eggs.r e ato develop and carry out recovery plans;So far, the Karner blue butterflyst e r authority to purchase important habitat;endangered species identification has notsage groand federal aid to state wildlife agenciesresulted in any limitations on farming. usethat have cooperative agreements with the USFWS. Rebounding SpeciesThe seed industry has been very invested Rusty Patched Bumble Bee in working with the Bureau of Landfor Wildlife program from the Natural An endangered species that is certainlyManagement (BLM) to help develop andResources Conservation Service (NRCS). of interest to farmers is the rusty patchedmaintain habitat for the near threatenedNew England farmers were able to help bumble bee (RPBB), which calls thesage grouse. Out of the 250 million acresthe New England cottontail when it was grasslands and tallgrass prairies of theowned and maintained by the BLM,being considered for listing as an endan-Upper Midwest and Northeast home. Atabout 2 million of those acres are sagegered species.one time, its range included 28 states.grouse habitat.Since 2000, the RPBB has been reportedThe sage grouse was a prime exam- Establishing Habitat & Promoting only from 13 states and Ontario.ple of a real-life situation where a spe- BiodiversityAccording to information from thecies was very close to being listed, butIts not something you often hear much USFWS, the bees habitat has beenbetween government agencies, ranch- about, but ecological biodiversity converted to farmland or developed,ing and other motivations, there wasimpacts our environment more than we so remaining grassland areas tend tocommon alignment to keep that spe- even know. be small and isolated. The RPBB cancies off the endangered list, says RobWhen a species goes to extinct, it also absorb toxins directly through theirWendell, CEO of Granite Seed. doesnt happen in a vacuum, says Diane exoskeleton through contaminated nectarTo help increase habitat, in the pastWilson, Trial Supervisor with Applewood and pollen.three years alone, the native seed indus- Seed. If diversity keeps plummeting in Climate change may also play a factortry has supplied more than 500,000general, it is going to impact our crops in harming the RPBB, such as increasedpounds of sagebrush seed. Wendell notesand wildland plants, because there may temperature and precipitation extremes,that many of his seed industry colleaguesnot be enough pollinators or the right increased drought, early snow melt andhave done the same in the past five tospecies of pollinators available for pollina-late frost events. These events may leadseven years. tion. It will also affect all the wildlife that to more exposure to or susceptibility toAnother example of governmentaldepend on native plants for food, habitat disease, fewer flowering plants, feweragencies working with farmers to pro- and protection, and impacts will be felt all places for queens to hibernate and nest,tect a species is the Working Landsthe way up the food chain.OCTOBER 2019SEEDWORLD.COM /11'