Pollinator Protection, it isn't just about honeybees, Honey.
On Thursday, August 6, 2015 the first meeting of the NY State Pollinator Protection Task Force met. Presiding over the meeting were Commissioner Ball, Dept of Ag&Mkts, Gene Leff from the Dept of Environmental Conservation, and Tom Alworth representing NYS Parks. Commissioner Ball hosted the meeting at the Dept of Ag&Mkts.

Those invited to speak included Jennifer Grant from the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University, Stu Gruskin, Nature Conservancy, Lauren (?) NY Farm Bureau, Stephen Wilson from Commissioner Ball's Apiary Industry Advisory Committee, Erin Crotty, NY Audubon, Rebekah Adcock of Crop Life America, Kevin Bowman, Bowman Orchards represented the Fruit Growers of NY, Margaret Brown from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Rick Zimmerman representing the NYS Vegetable Growers, and a representative from Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment. And me, Mark Berninghausen, President of the Empire State Honey Producers Association representing NYS beekeepers, as best I can.

This first meeting, one of three, was a listening session and a getting to know each other session. People talked about those they represented and about what they might wish to see in a Pollinator Protection Plan.

This meeting was recorded. We were told that the audio recording of the meeting will be made available. When it does the ESHPA will put it up on the Facebook Page. And here if you'd like.

I am not sure whether or not a written transcript will be made. If it is, then a link to that will be posted here as well.

This is a first step towards a NY State Pollinator Protection Plan that is supposed to address in some way(s) the troubles our pollinating insects are facing these days. Those things include the decline in adequate forage, the use of pesticides, the effects of climate change, parasites, pathogens, lack of genetic diversity, and poor land management practices. And other things.

You may make comments on this to me and I will pass them onto the Task Force or you may send your comments directly to the Task Force at this e-mail address [log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html