TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have reached an agreement that requires the agency to make decisions on protecting four imperiled bee species under the Endangered Species Act.

The agreement, approved by the court today, results from a Center lawsuit challenging the Service’s failure to make timely determinations on petitions to protect American bumblebees, Southern Plains bumblebees, variable cuckoo bumblebees and blue calamintha bees. The Service found that the bees may warrant protection but has failed to make final determinations.

Under the agreement’s terms, the Service must decide whether to protect American bumblebees and variable cuckoo bumblebees by 2027; blue calamintha bees by 2028; and Southern Plains bumblebees by 2029.

“These bees are in serious trouble so I’m relieved they’re moving toward getting the Endangered Species Act protections they desperately need to dodge extinction,” said Jess Tyler, the Center scientist who authored the bumblebee petitions. “The longer we wait, the more these species will decline and the harder they’ll be to recover. If federal officials don’t move quickly, there could be disastrous consequences for bees and the many plants that rely on these pollinators.”

These four bees are threatened by loss and degradation of habitat, pesticide poisoning, a warming climate, disease and honeybee competition.

Native bees are crucial pollinators of wild plants and crops. Some plants have such specialized relationships with bees that their life cycle depends on being pollinated by certain bee species. The loss of these pollinators would be catastrophic for agriculture and the environment since 75% of food crops and 90% of wild, flowering plants rely on animal pollination.

A Center investigation found that the majority of America’s native bee species are in decline, with nearly one-quarter at risk of extinction. Even adaptable habitat generalists like American bumblebees are suffering from collapsing populations.

Information on how to help native pollinators in backyards is available at the Center’s Native Pollinator Gardening Guide. In addition to planting native plants, pollinators benefit from pesticide-free gardening and organic farming practices.

Species Background

American bumblebees: Once among the most common and widespread bumblebees, American bumblebees were found in open areas across all of the lower 48 states except Washington. After a severe decline starting in the 2000s, this iconic bumblebee has disappeared from at least eight states and experienced severe declines across its remaining range. Habitat loss, pesticide contamination, disease spillover from domesticated bee colonies and other threats have accelerated its decline.

Southern Plains bumblebees: These bumblebees are native to the perennial grasslands and open woodlands of America’s Great Plains, Midwest and southeastern coastal plains. As their habitats have degraded and disappeared, they’ve become twice as rare relative to other bees in recent decades and have vanished altogether from six states.

Variable cuckoo bumblebees: Among the rarest bumblebees in North America, with zero confirmed observations since 1999, these cuckoo bumblebees have a fascinating life cycle that requires them to invade the nests of American bumblebees. That ties its fate to a host species that is also in precipitous decline, demonstrating the ripple effects of the loss of a single species.

Blue calamintha bees: These metallic blue mason bees rely entirely on two rare flowers found in central Florida’s fragile sand pine scrub ecosystems. Habitat loss to agricultural, commercial and residential development are existential threats to this highly restricted bee. Other threats include pesticides, disease and natural disasters.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of