Comment to USDA from Mile Hive Bee Club

To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of the Mile Hive Bee Club, representing urban and suburban beekeepers across Denver, Colorado, we are writing to express our strongest opposition to the proposed closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC).
As urban beekeepers, we depend on the research from the Beltsville Bee Lab to manage our colonies successfully against unique local pressures. At a time when colony losses are a critical concern, BARC’s work is essential for the sustainability of beekeeping and the pollination required for our nation’s food supply.
Closing this facility would dismantle a vital team of experts and leave a devastating gap in the science that beekeepers across the country rely on. BARC’s current, unique setup ensures vital overlapping expertise, stability, and intact working groups. We give our full support for the continued operation of BARC and urge you to maintain this irreplaceable resource for our nation’s agricultural and scientific interests.
Sincerely,
The Mile Hive Bee Club Denver, Colorado
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Comment to USDA from Eastern Colorado Beekeepers

To whom it may concern,
As a group of primarily rural beekeepers, we are writing in strong opposition of closing the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). Besides breaking up functioning working groups, disrupting scientific work, and losing a facility that has grown into its role with the Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory for 90 years, closing BARC will remove an agricultural institution from a populated area. We spend a lot of effort and energy educating urban populations about agriculture, and removing a facility as important as BARC will further remove agriculture from the sight & minds of the area populus. Further, sustaining the beekeeping community is aligned with protecting the country’s food security, since 75% of our food requires pollination from bees.

As an industry, beekeeping has faced significant challenges in recent years – leading to a critical concern about sustainability – and it is the researchers at the Beltsville Bee Research Lab at BARC that have been responsive and helpful as we look for data to lead our management decisions. That essential service is a product of the collective expertise, collaboration, and unique research environment allowed at BARC.

We are in complete support of the continued operation of BARC to continue to serve the scientific & agricultural interests of Americans, at its current location.
Sincerely,
Eastern Colorado Beekeepers

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Comment to USDA from Brighton Bee Club

To whom it may concern

The Brighton Bee Club of Colorado strongly opposes the closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). For over a century, BARC has provided beekeepers with essential research on honey bee health, nutrition, genetics, and disease management. Its scientists have led the fight against pests like Varroa mites and pathogens such as American foulbrood—threats that, if left unchecked, can devastate colonies and the livelihoods of beekeepers nationwide.

BARC’s honey bee lab is the only USDA facility dedicated to comprehensive pollinator research at this scale, serving both commercial and hobbyist beekeepers with science-based solutions. The closure would dismantle decades of expertise and disrupt the testing services, diagnostics, and extension resources relied upon by beekeepers in every state.

Pollinators contribute billions to U.S. agriculture annually, underpinning crops from almonds to alfalfa. Losing BARC would weaken the nation’s ability to respond to pollinator health crises, directly threatening food production and agricultural stability.

Rather than close this irreplaceable resource, the USDA should invest in modernizing BARC’s facilities to continue its mission. The Brighton Bee Club urges decision-makers to recognize the critical role BARC plays in sustaining pollinators, agriculture, and the nation’s food security. Closing BARC would be a short-term decision with long-term costs—to science, to farmers, and to the nation’s food security.

Sincerely,

Brighton Bee Club

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Comment to USDA from High Land Beekeeping Club

To Whom it May Concern,
We are writing in strong opposition to the closing of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC).
This facility provides an unique combination of geographical isolation ideal for research on pesticides and diseases, collaborative research teams and climate which would be virtually impossible to replicate elsewhere.
As beekeepers, we are dependent on the research being done in the Beltsville bee lab in order to successfully manage our honey bee colonies.  At a time when colony losses exceed 60% annually, research is critical to stem further losses and provide adequate pollination for our nations food supply.
We are giving our full and enthusiastic support for the continued operation of BARC that serves our nation’s scientific and agricultural interests.
Sincerely,
High Land Beekeeping Club
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
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Comment to USDA from CSBA Board

To whom it may concern,

The Colorado State Beekeepers Association represents over 3,000 beekeepers and we are  in strong opposition to the closing of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). BARC has served a wide variety of Americans with research and testing services that are directly applicable to our success in Agriculture. Fragmenting the lab and research teams that deliver essential services that advise us as we work to try to keep the beekeeping industry functional and regain a sense of sustainability would be incredibly detrimental – especially in the face of unprecedented issues in the last year and uncertainty as another winter looms.

We urge you to maintain the function and services of BARC – we have particular interest in the apicultural research and services, but BARC offers a unique location for our USDA experts and other employees to complete their work and perform controlled experiments with limited confounding variables. All of this is a function of the complete research center and all of the work done there, as well as the property’s unique usage as BARC.

Sincerely,

The Board of the Colorado State Beekeepers’ Association

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