Brooke Marcus Quoted on Impact of Listing Bumble Bees as Threatened or Endangered

Brooke Marcus was quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, “American Bumble Bee Moves Toward Endangered Species Protection.” The article discusses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's announcement that it is considering listing the American bumble bee as a threatened or endangered species and examines what the impact of such a move could be. 

Commenting on the issue, Brooke said, “If the bee is listed, it could be felt across industries coast-to-coast, including renewable energy developers…Local governments are requiring solar and other renewables developers to attract pollinators, including bees, to the land around their projects, but if a pollinator such as the bumble bee receives ESA protection, it could expose developers to legal liability if they accidentally kill bees.”

She added, “The scope of the impact would depend on how the Fish and Wildlife Service defines habitat for the bumble bee and regulates accidental or permitted killings, or ‘take,’ of the bee.”