The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced the American bumblebee, whose populations have plummeted by nearly 90%, may be put on the endangered species list.
The announcement kicks off a one-year status assessment of the species. A Federal Register document published Wednesday follows a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and others. The Center says the species’ decline has resulted from multiple factors, including habitat loss, pesticides, disease, climate change.
The Fish and Wildlife Service will now initiate a scientific status review and public comment period before making a final decision on whether to protect the bumblebee.
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