Bee Information All . STAR TRIBUNE - SATURDAY,AUGUST 2, 2014
•
•
Now, Hauser, a retired
IP0
schoolteacher, and her hus-
band,Jeff Dinsmore,a retired
- engineer, hope that Shore-
wood can do the same with
Shorewood seeks to its "bee-safe" City policy.
Since January,the couple has
OKs p1 anon .
fight bee
bencouraged residents and the
city not to use pesticides that
harm bees,handing out bright
ty ee safe -
_
die-off
: yellow lawn signs in exchange
for those who take the pledge.
"That's a huge win,and we
• hope people across the coun-
Suburb will plant clover, - 4 BEE.5 from Al ' try see that said Hauser,
avoid certain pesticides. - suburb also is planting clover, whose passion for the issue
,
-' which can provide nectar and . extended to offering to stop at
ByRELLYSMITH •, pollen for bees,in three city each council member's house
kelly.srnith@startribune.com
parks And they hope other - to show them a video on the
.- metro area cities follow suit. bee die-off"We tried to be per-
In the growing movement "This should be exciting ' sistent without bugging them
to better protect honeybees, for Minnesota,"said Patricia to death—pardon the pun.
Shorewood has become the - Hauser,a resident who pushed Beekeepers across the
first city in Minnesota—and, for the policy."This is a big win country are losing a fourth to a
leaders say, the third city in for pollinators and bees." third oftheir hives each winter
the nation—to pass a policy As concern over the drastic --a dramatic decline that has
encouraging planting bee- decline of bees grows across exposed bees as afragile link in
friendly flowers and restrict- the country, she and other the nation's food supply chain.
ing certain pesticides.
This week,the City Coun- residents in the small Lake - LTS.agriculture depends on
Minnetonka community have bees to pollinate $15 billion
cil unanimously approved the banded together to urge peo- worth of crops annually—a
"bee-safe" resolution, vow- pie to plant and take care of third of the food we eat
Mg to refrain from using sys- lawns without harming bees. The crisis hit the Shore-
temic pesticides, including While there is much debate wood couple after they lost
neonicotinoids — the most „
over the role that neonicoti- some bees in their own hive.
widely applied insecticides in rtoids play in the bee die-off, So in January,they started the
the world,which can be lethal
Shorewood hasn't ever used - , group Humming for Bees.
to insects but not to humans the chemicals on cityproperty. _ Since then,they have stirred
and mammals.The west metro But,Mayor Scott Zerby said, • up more than just a buzz.At
See BEES on AS. the policy ensures that the city churches, schools, farmers
doesn't use the chemicals in markets,nature centers and
BEES AT THE BRINK
.......,_
. &I.14: -,.. the future and helps educate , neighborhoods,they've spread
the community about creating - thewordabout the beesplight
pollinator-friendly habitats , and how people can help.
"In Shorewood,we take a • Now, the group is paying
,
lot of pride in being innova- for, planting and watering
Read the StarTribune's series tive,"he said."In a way,we're - clover seeds in vacant areas of
examining honeybees'decline restoring the environment to • Cathcart,Freeman and South
at starbibtme.comfbees. be more bee-friendly." S- Shore skate parks,The city will
Earlier this year,city lead- take over watering,which it
• ers sent a letter of support to • would've done anyvray,mak-
tti the state Legislature before it -
in the cost minimal,Zerby
passed a law forbidding nurs- • - said.
eries to put a"bee-friendly" 5 "This is not the complete
Glabel onplants containing neo- answer,but this is a very big
nicotinoids. step," Hauser added. "We
And it's not the first time want the whole state to be
the city has been ahead of the bee-safe,the whole country to
curve.More than a decade ago, be bee-safe,the whole world
• Shorewood and Minneapo- to be bee-safe.Even if we st• art
lis were the first in the state small,we can be part of the
CITY OF SHOREWOOD
RESOLUTION NO. 14-066
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING "BEE-SAFE" POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
WHEREAS, the Shorewood City Council and Park Commission have undertaken
several work sessions dedicated to the study and understanding of promoting a healthy natural
environment through the reduction and elimination of harmful pesticides;and
WHEREAS, bees and other pollinators are integral to a wide diversity of essential foods
including fruit,nuts, and vegetables; and
WHEREAS, native bees and honey bees are threatened due to habitat loss,pesticide use,
pathogens and parasites; and
WHEREAS, recent research suggests that there is a link between pesticides that contain
neonicotinoids and the die-off of plant pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, butterflies,
moths,and other insects; and
WHEREAS, neonicotinoids are synthetic chemical insecticides that are similar in
structure and action to nicotine, a naturally occurring plant compound;and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds it is in the public interest and consistent with
adopted City policy for the City to demonstrate its commitment to a safe and healthy community
environment through the implementation of pest management practices in the maintenance of the
city parks,open spaces and city property.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of
Shorewood:
1. The City shall undertake its best efforts to become a Bee-Safe City by
undertaking best management practices in the use of plantings and pesticides in all public places
within the City.
2. The City shall refrain from the use of systemic pesticides on Shorewood City
property including pesticides from the neonicotinoid family.
3. The City shall undertake its best efforts to plant flowers favorable to bees and
other pollinators in the City's public spaces.
4. The City shall designate Bee-Safe areas in which future City plantings are free
from systemic pesticides including neonicotinoids.
5. The City shall undertake best efforts to communicate to Shorewood residents the
importance of creating and maintaining a pollinator-friendly habitat.
6. The City shall publish a Bee-Safe City Progress Report on an annual basis.
4825.8825-3468.1
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHOREWOOD this 28th
day of July,2014.
Scott erby,Ma
ATTEST:
Cie 0-4k- Pairkeit
Jean Panchyshyn,Ci Cle
4825-8825-3468.1
,
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