--- title: Obama Wants to Save The Bees description: New initiative will combat the decline in pollinators canonical: https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-20T19:36:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:39.201Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obama Wants to Save The Bees og:description: New initiative will combat the decline in pollinators og:url: https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt95e739cc21ef1bb8/698698a936176071a290cb9f/beekeper-bees-colony-bee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2784 og:image:height: 1566 og:image:alt: Exchange Busy Beekeeper og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obama Wants to Save The Bees twitter:description: New initiative will combat the decline in pollinators twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt95e739cc21ef1bb8/698698a936176071a290cb9f/beekeper-bees-colony-bee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The White House Wants to Save the Bees > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: TIME Explains: Why Bees Are Going Extinct [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Why Bees Are Going Extinct](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dZuiDonP.m3u8) (1:41)  _Published 2013-08-07. The bees are dying and we're to blame. TIME's Bryan Walsh explains colony collapse disorder, and why bees are on the verge of extinction._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 20, 2014 7:36 PM UTC  Beekeeper Alan Clingenpeel shows the inside of a bee hive in his apiary at his home on May 23, 2014 in Pearcy, Ark. Beekeeper Alan Clingenpeel shows the inside of a bee hive in his apiary at his home on May 23, 2014 in Pearcy, Ark.Mara Kuhn—AP  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 20, 2014 7:36 PM UTC The White House created a new task force Friday to study and combat the recent [precipitous decline in the number of bees](http://time.com/559/the-plight-of-the-honeybee/) in the United States. The Pollinator Health Task Force will also undertake efforts to increase public awareness of the issue and boost conservation partnerships between the public and private sectors. “Given the breadth, severity, and persistence of pollinator losses, it is critical to expand Federal efforts and take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels,” President Barack Obama wrote in a presidential memorandum. The President’s announcement comes in response to a [problem](http://time.com/559/the-plight-of-the-honeybee/) with grave implications for farmers and consumers. At least 90 commercial crops harvested in North America rely on honey bees including nuts, fruits, and vegetables, according to a [White House fact sheet](http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/fact-sheet-economic-challenge-posed-declining-pollinator-populations). Pollinators also have a profound economic impact: They contribute more than $24 billion dollars to the U.S. economy. The plan announced on Friday, which includes measures to research the issue and develop pollinator habitats, marks the latest step in the White House’s attempt to address the the decline. 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