--- description: New initiative will combat the decline in pollinators title: Obama Wants to Save The Bees image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt95e739cc21ef1bb8/698698a936176071a290cb9f/beekeper-bees-colony-bee.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Environment](/tag/environment/) ## Environment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The White House Wants to Save the Bees ## 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](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Jun 20, 2014 7:36 PM CUT  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](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Jun 20, 2014 7:36 PM CUT 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/ "undefined") 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/ "undefined") 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 "undefined"). 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. The President requested $50 million to combat the program in his 2015 budget proposal. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/"},"headline":"The White House Wants to Save the Bees","datePublished":"2014-06-20T19:36:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:32:57.557Z","description":"New initiative will combat the decline in pollinators","url":"https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/","keywords":["Environment","Barack Obama","Agriculture","Bees","Science topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt95e739cc21ef1bb8/698698a936176071a290cb9f/beekeper-bees-colony-bee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt95e739cc21ef1bb8/698698a936176071a290cb9f/beekeper-bees-colony-bee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Exchange Busy Beekeeper","caption":"Exchange Busy Beekeeper","creditText":"Mara Kuhn—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2907230/the-white-house-wants-to-save-the-bees/","name":"The White House Wants to Save the Bees"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Explains: Why Bees Are Going Extinct","description":"The bees are dying and we're to blame. 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