Response to Dee
Actually, there is much in the proposed standards that you would probably not agree with, as being far too liberal. For example:

QUOTED --

The following are materials the Working Group believes must be reviewed for appropriate status and petitioned for addition to the National List if necessary: Formic acid, Thymol, Carbon Dioxide.

The Group states that there are several materials that are not recognized by the EPA for use in bees including Folic acid, Lactic acid and Oxalic acid for mite control. If these materials do receive EPA registration, the Group recommends they be petitioned for inclusion on the National List.

The National Organic Standards Board will consider substances related to organic honey bee production for inclusion on the National List as they are petitioned.

The producer must not:
Accept the presence of pests, parasites, or disease without initiating efforts to restore the health of the colony

The producer must establish and maintain preventive health care practices, including:
Selection of bee stocks, hive densities, and colony locations appropriate to site-specific conditions and resistant to prevalent diseases and pests;
Destruction of equipment and bees contaminated with disease or pests;
Use of management methods or modified equipment to control pests and diseases;
Use of therapeutic applications of non-synthetic materials to control pests, parasites, and diseases.

-- END QUOTED

These are very well-considered statements. Implementing Organic Beekeeping is not the same as turning your back on the bees. These examples show clearly that what is proposed is a pro-active approach to pest management incorporating chemicals deemed to be non-synthetic and thereby within the parameters of conventional organic farming. These requirements would be entirely feasible and desirable for most small time beekeepers that I know. The sticking point, however, is the foraging parameters:

QUOTED --

Forage Zone: 
Provide a description of all crops grown, the quantity of organic and/or
wild forage to be provided per colony, including the type or types of forage, approximate
bloom period, forage density, competing species density, honeybee colony density,
colony health, colony strength, topography, and climatic conditions; and any sources of
potential contamination located within the 1.8 mile (3 km) forage zone.

Surveillance Zone: 
Provide a description of crops grown and high risk activities such as
sanitary landfills, incinerators, sewage treatment facilities, power plants, golf courses,
human housing, towns or cities, land to which prohibited materials are applied, and all
other sources of potential contamination located in the surveillance zone of 2.2 miles
(3.4 km) beyond the forage zone. Crops produced using excluded methods, deemed by
the accredited certifying agent to be attractive to bees, are not permitted on land within
the surveillance zone.

-- END QUOTED

SOURCE:
National Organic Standards Board Livestock Committee
Organic Apiculture Recommendation
October 27, 2010

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