1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent from Cumberland Center and a member of Maine’s beekeeping community to urge your support in preserving the Beltsville Bee Lab, a vital federal facility currently facing closure under USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ proposed plan to disassemble the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The Beltsville Bee Lab has long served as a cornerstone of honey bee health diagnostics for beekeepers across Maine, New England, and the Atlantic states. Its free testing services for American Foulbrood (AFB), European Foulbrood (EFB), and other pathogens are not only essential to individual beekeepers—they are integral to regional biosecurity and agricultural resilience. When a sample tests positive, results are shared with state apiary inspectors, enabling swift containment and communication with nearby beekeepers. This collaborative model supports pollinator health, protects food systems, and ensures that Maine’s agricultural landscape remains productive and safe. The proposed closure threatens to dismantle this infrastructure, leaving beekeepers without a reliable diagnostic resource and undermining broader efforts to combat pollinator decline. Given the critical role honey bees play in pollinating crops and sustaining food security, I respectfully ask that you advocate for continued federal support of the Beltsville Bee Lab and oppose any budgetary or administrative actions that would lead to its closure. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and for your continued support of Maine’s agricultural and environmental health.