Support The HIGHWAY BEE ACT and Help Save the Planet!

The Highway BEE Act was introduced by Reps Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Jeff Denham (R-CA) to encourage the development of habitat for pollinators along road corridors. If you wish to show your support, the deadline is June 16, 2014. Individuals, organizations, municipalities,and researchers can (and should) sign the letter!!

Here is the letter:

The undersigned support H.R. 4790, the Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Pollinator Protection Act (Highways BEE Act). 

Pollinators, such as honey bees and native pollinators, birds, bats, and butterflies, are essential to healthy ecosystems and are vital partners in American agriculture.  Honey bees, monarch butterflies and other native pollinators are suffering drastic population losses, due in part to loss of habitat.

Highway right-of-ways (ROWs) managed by State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) represent about 17 million acres of opportunity where significant economic and conservation/environmental benefits can be achieved through integrated vegetation management (IVM) practices, that can—

• Significantly reduce mowing and maintenance costs for State DOTs, and
• Help create habitat, forage and migratory corridors that will contribute to the health of honey bees, monarch butterflies and other native pollinators, as well as ground nesting birds and other small wildlife. 

Neighboring agricultural lands and wildlife ecosystems will benefit through improved pollination services.

The Highways BEE Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to use existing authorities, programs and funding to encourage and facilitate IVM and pollinator habitat efforts by willing State DOTs and other transportation ROWs managers, building on innovative IVM efforts in a growing number of State DOTs.

Click here for the link  (or see below)  to sign and send the letter.

PLEASE help the bees- because we are really helping ourselves- if you eat food, that is...

Here is the link to the letter for individuals:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qIcloXNxXT0sW8PxapRslmluGwFxkfKEL8uHvmPsn_o/viewform

Click here for the link to the letter for organizations:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YBizN4Bg9DWpO3dCgcgvfh8RhlA0nCPqWse8us-rnM0/viewform

For more information- click here or follow the link below.

http://pollinator.org/BEEAct.htm?utm_source=June+2014+Eflier&utm_campaign=June+E-flier+2014&utm_medi...

The planet will thank you.