All:

You are invited to attend and participate in the W.A.S. annual meeting this
summer.  We've posted a new web page with an agenda, dates, etc.
http://beekeeper.dbs.umt.edu/WAS/

Dr. Gabe Patrick, EPA Office of Pesticides is our keynote speaker.

We will host a national workshop on Pollinators and Pesticides, the State
of the Nation, in conjunction with WAS.

Dr. Patrick co-hosted an EPA meeting in NewPort two weeks ago to discuss
these issues at EPA's annual Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program review. Both the Office of Pesticides and EMAPS attended, as well
as researchers, bee specialists, conservation groups, and a representative
from the Canadian Honey Council.

It is our goal to establish an annual meeting to discuss pesticide issues
as they effect beekeepers, growers, the public, and other stakeholders.
Our  hope is to reduce the finger pointing and provide a venue where we can
opening discuss the problems facing the industry, conservation groups, and
our nation's agricultural and wildlands.

We were encouraged by Gabe's efforts to pull together people to discuss
these issues in NewPort, especially in view of cancellation of a workshop
to discuss Imidacloprid, and the growing number of legal suits in the U.S.
involving bees and pesticides.

Obviously, all of this (pesticide kills or not) is confounded by mites,
agricultural monocultures, loss of habitat, etc.; plus cut backs in state
regulatory/inspection services. The growing use of chemicals inside hives
for mite control is also of concern.

There are no simple answers, but here's an opportunity to get the issues
out on the table.  Please join us in Montana.  If this meeting is well
attended, it is far more likely that we can establish an annual review of
the State of the Nation for issues such as these.

FYI, the agenda is not set in stone.  Please contact me if you wish to see
issues added or speak.

Thanks to everyone, hope to see lots of you in Montana.

Jerry Bromenshenk
President, W.A.S.

P.S.  We're working on adding the exhibitor pages and the conference
registration page later this week, but the posted page will get you started
with the agenda, activities, hotel, etc.

Lots of informational, education, and fun presentations (as you will see
from the agenda). Plus tours of Western Bee equipment factory, Montana
Naturals (pollen, propolis, royal jelly products), and the National Bison
Range, with a barbecue on the shores of Flathead Lake

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