Recently, bees have been declared endangered for the first time in U.S. History. A group of these bees are now protected under the Endangered Species Act, which protects all creatures in the U.S. that are at risk. While winter is only a few months out, it doesn't mean that bees won't have the same issue next spring and summer.

I'm a resident of Grand Junction, Colorado. It's a rich farming community, and it's nearby town, Palisade, is known for it's peaches that are grown in the thousands every year. While farming is vital for Grand Junction and it's surrounding neighbors' economies, something has got to give.

Bees are extremely important in a bigger picture. They pollinate a wide variety of plants for other wildlife to consume and survive off of. As a matter of fact, the survival of most plants comes from bees pollinating. Cross-pollination helps nearly 30% of crops in the world and nearly 90% of the world's wild plants, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A major factor in the killing of bees is the extensive use of pesticides and insecticides on our crops (the same crops that many bees pollinate on). What I'm asking is to reduce the use of pesticides and insecticides in Colorado extensively to help our little friends survive. Without bees, many plants and animals in the world would die, and it could cause even bigger problems.

Save the Bees!