Contact: Cynthia Palmer, 202-888-7475

(Washington, D.C., June 23, 2017) Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) today introduced the Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2017, directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend registration of a toxic group of pesticides called neonicotinoids, or "neonics." Now the most commonly used insecticides on Earth, these chemicals are deadly to birds, bees, and aquatic life.

Pollinators, including birds, are at risk from neonic pesticides. Photo of Ruby-throated Hummingbird by MV Photo/Shutterstock.

American Bird Conservancy strongly supports the bill. “We greatly appreciate the leadership of Rep. Conyers and Rep. Blumenauer on this issue,” said Cynthia Palmer, Director of ABC's Pesticides Program. “It's past time for EPA to get serious about neonicotinoids.”

Neonics are lethal to birds, bees, butterflies, and other organisms that we rely on for pollinating crops and controlling pests.  One seed coated with these insecticides is enough to kill a songbird. A coalition of conservation organizations, including ABC, beekeepers, scientists, and business leaders, has asked the EPA to suspend the four most toxic neonicotinoids until a comprehensive study of their effects on wildlife and people is completed.

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American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation.