PSBA recently received this message from Washington State Beekeepers Association
A pro-bee bill was introduced in the state legislature! Please contact your representatives to help ensure it passes!
Rep. Strom Peterson introduced HB 2478 January 12th which would create a pilot program to find the best ways to replace noxious weeds that are also bee forage, with non-noxious plants that are still good for bees. If more landowners controlled weeds without wiping out good bee forage, our hives would be healthier and better able to pollinate, both in commercial agriculture and in gardens and neighborhoods. You can read the text of the bill at this link:
http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2478&year=2015
The bill has three Republican and seven Democrat sponsors, so it stands a better chance than the similar bill last session. This bill is starting in the house of representatives, if it passes there, the senate will work with it.
You can send an email to all three legislators in your district by visiting: https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/2478
Once there, you enter your address, choose “verify district,” and it brings up your three legislators for you to send a message to all at once.
You could say, for example,
Please support HB 2478 in favor of better habitat for honey bees and other pollinators. This pilot project would show landowners how to keep bee forage while controlling noxious weeds. Healthy forage supports healthy honey bees and other pollinators, which in turn provides effective pollination services for agriculture and home gardens and neighborhoods. Weed control efforts sometimes result in the loss of valuable bee forage, as such efforts can destroy all the blooming plants in an area, not only the noxious ones. We hope the project results in cost effective methods and techniques that would prevent loss of bee forage when used by those who control noxious weeds.
You should personalize the above message with your own ideas, or even use entirely your own words. It’s difficult to get legislators on the phone during session without a scheduled phone meeting, so email is probably best.
ALERT! Emails that appear pre-written are usually ignored, so using your own language works the best and seems the most sincere.
Also, it would be nice to thank those who are sponsoring this bill. A brief “thanks for sponsoring, I’m glad you support healthy honey bees” would be great to thank them and let them know people are aware of the good they do. The sponsor contact info is below.
Thank you for your support of bees and beekeepers at the legislature. I look forward, with your help, to a successful year in Olympia.
Tim Hiatt
legislative chair, WSBA
HB 2478 sponsors (email is best):
note – when using the web email page, choose “send message anyway” after you put your address in, when you’re not in their district.
Strom Peterson (D) 21, (360) 786-7950, strom.peterson@leg.wa.gov
Melanie Stambaugh (R) 25, (360) 786-7948, melanie.stambaugh@leg.wa.gov
Vincent Buys (R) 42, (360) 786-7854, vincent.buys@leg.wa.gov
Tom Dent (R) 13, (360) 786-7932, tom.dent@leg.wa.gov
Mia Gregerson (D) 33, (360) 786-7868, https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/33/2 (might be
Marcus Riccelli (D) 3, (360) 786-7888, Marcus.Riccelli@leg.wa.gov
Tina Orwall (D) 33, (360) 786-7834,https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/33/1 (might be
Derek Stanford (D) 1, (360) 786-7928,https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/1/1 (might be
Brian Blake (D) 19, (360) 786-7870,https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/19/2 (might be
David Sawyer (D) 29, (360) 786-7906,https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/29/1 (might be