Two administrations ago, the Obama administration blocked the use of bee-killing neonicotinoids or “neonics” in our nation’s wildlife refuges. The idea was simple: a wildlife refuge should be a safe haven for wild bees.
One administration back, the Trump administration repealed the Obama-era policy.
One, if you can get away, please get out and enjoy one of America’s nearly 570 wildlife refuges. If you live in a city or the suburbs, don’t despair. About 100 of the wildlife refuges are a short drive from an urban core.
Two, the Biden administration should act to once again block the use of neonics in wildlife refuges. Restoring this would be a simple enough policy, and it would restore the concept that bee-killing pesticides have no place in America’s wildlife refuges.