For those of us in the U.S.:

Pollinator Partnership works for all bees and pollinators and has been very involved in raising awareness and sponsoring research helpful to beekeepers and honey bees.

Please support their latest effort, details below.

Kathy Kellison

Begin forwarded message:

From: Pollinator Partnership [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 2:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Support Highways BEE Act - Sign Group Letter
 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011




Dear Friends:

A HUGE POLLINATOR THANK YOU if you responded to the earlier P.A.T. Action Request and are one of more than 1,000 organizations, scientists and other individuals who signed the Group Letter (includes signatories to date!)
If not, sign-ons are still being accepted to help build momentum for the legislation in the House and Senate.  You can help bees and other pollinators.  Click Here to sign on (Letter text also shown below).

Who Can Sign?
·  Organizations at all levels (national, state, local)
·  Companies
·  Individuals
·  Researchers

Highways BEE Act (Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act) - (H.R. 2381), was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives during Pollinator Week, on June 23, 2011.  The bill promotes conservation practices on 17 million acres of highway right-of-ways (ROWs) by encouraging reduced mowing and increased native plantings that provide improved habitat for pollinators, ground nesting birds and other small wildlife.  Click Here for additional background on the legislation.

The legislation will help cash-strapped States save money by reducing mowing and help improve pollinator habitat by increasing native plantings.  This is a ‘win-win’ opportunity to SHARE 17 million acres of highway right-of-ways with our pollinating partners.

Forward this opportunity to others who may be interested.  Spreading the word helps!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!  BY PARTICIPATING YOU ARE MAKING A POSITIVE CHANGE FOR POLLINATORS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR ECONOMY.






GROUP LETTER IN SUPPORT OF HIGHWAYS BEE ACT
 
The undersigned support the Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act (Highways BEE Act). 
 
The Highways BEE Act proposes significant economic and conservation benefits that can be achieved through integrated vegetation management (IVM) practices on Federal and state highway right-of-ways (ROWs) managed by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs).  These areas represent about 17 million acres of opportunity where significant reductions in mowing and maintenance can reduce costs for cash-strapped State DOTs. 
 
Reductions in roadside mowing, combined with enhanced plantings of native forbs and grasses, can provide economic benefits, reduced carbon emissions, and critical habitat for pollinators, ground nesting birds and other small wildlife.  Pollinators, such as bees, birds, bats, and butterflies, are essential to healthy ecosystems and are vital partners in American agriculture.  Pollinators are suffering drastic population loss, due in part to loss of habitat.
 
Landscape improvement through native plants has the added benefit of providing resistance to invasive plants, reduced fire danger, and more scenic highways.  Roadside native plantings have the added benefit of being less attractive to mega-fauna, like deer and elk, than fescue and other non-native grasses currently found on most roadsides.  Mega-fauna are the fastest growing cause of costly vehicle accidents.  In addition, neighboring agricultural lands and wildlife ecosystems will benefit from improved pollination services.
 
This legislation supports and builds on innovative IVM efforts in a growing number of State DOT’s by directing the Secretary of Transportation to use existing authorities, programs and funding to encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other transportation ROWs managers, to adopt IVM practices, including reduced mowing and enhanced native plantings that provide multiple fiscal, safety and aesthetic benefits while also promoting habitat and migratory corridors for pollinators, ground nesting birds and other small wildlife.
 
ORGANIZATIONS
 
INDIVIDUALS



















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