NATIVE BEES ARE ESSENTIAL TO CROP AND WILD PLANT POLLINATION, AND THUS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR AGRICULTURAL AND NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS. AT PRESENT, THE U.S. DOES NOT HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO RIGOROUSLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY MONITOR THE STATUS OF WILD, NATIVE BEE POPULATIONS. SUCH A SYSTEM IS NECESSARY TO DETECT AND RESPOND TO BEE DECLINES QUANTITATIVELY AND RAPIDLY. WE PROPOSE TO FORM A RESEARCH COORDINATION NETWORK (RCN) FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING A NATIONAL PLAN TO MONITOR NATIVE BEES. ACROSS THREE YEARS, THE RCN WILL WORK TOGETHER AS A RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO CREATE A SET OF NATIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES FOR NATIVE BEE MONITORING, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: (1) COORDINATE EXISTING MONITORING PROGRAMS; (2) IDENTIFY NATIONAL PRIORITY AREAS FOR MONITORING, (3) GENERATE SETS OF STANDARDIZED MONITORING PROTOCOLS; (4) CREATE A TRAINING PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE MONITORING WORKFORCE; AND (5) INTERFACE WITH THE PUBLIC AND POLICY MAKERS. THE RCN WILL ACHIEVE THESE GOALS THROUGH A SERIES OF ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES, QUARTERLY MEETINGS, A MAJOR ONLINE PRESENCE, AND A DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. PROJECT PRODUCTS WILL INCLUDE A U.S. NATIONAL NATIVE BEE MONITORING PLAN THAT INCLUDES STANDARDIZED PROTOCOLS, AN ASSOCIATED SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE PUBLIC AND POLICY MAKERS, QUARTERLY REPORTS OUTLINING CONSENSUS VIEWS ON MONITORING TOPICS, AND ONLINE LECTURES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. THIS PROJECT ADVANCES THE FUNDAMENTAL USDA GOAL OF PROMOTING FOOD SECURITY BY CREATING A NECESSARY SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE STATUS OF NATIVE BEES, OUR NATION'S MOST IMPORTANT NATIVE POLLINATORS.