Yes there is a decline in the bee population due to CCD - colony collapse disorder.  According to Beekeeper Brian, who has kept up with this much better than I, it is mostly affecting the large population that travels around the country to pollenate crops.  This is a major concern for farmers because some crops, such as almonds, are only pollenated by bees.  There is a growing interest in beekeeping as well as a large feral hive population so hopefully disaster can be averted.