The more we come to understand the role of pollinators, the more it becomes clear that our current mode of existence is incompatible with a healthy pollinator population. Ongoing environmental challenges to pollinator populations include the impacts of habitat loss on insect biodiversity and the omnipresent effects of climate change, which are partially responsible for colony collapse disorder in bee colonies. Acknowledging these developments has led some law and policy makers to focus on legislative strategies that promote population health. Despite this recognition, however, the pollinator crisis has often failed to receive sufficient media (or policy) attention.

To examine how policy can influence pollinator health, this paper first provides background information on pollinators and the environmental challenges they face before summarizing existing efforts to protect pollinators through federal, state, and local policies. It explores strategies to improve land-use tools and interventions that can promote pollinator populations, as well as options for additional policy innovations to support pollinator health.