Hon Barbara Boxer, Chair Hon James M. Inhofe, Ranking Environment
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423 Washington St., 5th floor San Francisco, Ca 94111-2339 T. 415.362.1137 F. 415.362.3070 E. [email protected] July 21, 2011-via e-mail to [email protected] Hon Barbara Boxer, Chair Hon James M. Inhofe, Ranking Board of Directors Laurie Davies Adams Environment & Public Works Cmte Environment & Public Works Cmte Board Secretary and U.S. Senate U.S. Senate Executive Director Jen Boulden Gladys Phillips-Evans, Ph.D. Hon Max Baucus, Chair Hon David Vitter, Ranking Treasurer Roger Lang EPW Transportation & Infrastructure Subc EPW Transportation & Infrastructure Subc Chairman U.S. Senate U.S. Senate Mark Moffett, Ph.D. Martin Rosen Bradley A. Stirn Dear Chairman Boxer and Subcommittee Chair Baucus, and Ranking Members Vice Chairman Erica Swanson Inhofe and Vitter: Science Advisors May Berenbaum, Ph.D. The Pollinator Partnership (P2) urges the Environment and Public Works Committee to Adrian Forsyth, Ph.D. incorporate provisions of the “Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act” Daniel Janzen, Ph.D. Don Kennedy, Ph.D. into the transportation reauthorization bill. Legislation (H.R. 2381) introduced in the E.O. Wilson, Ph.D. House are highlights are attached . We had been exploring introduction of a similar Peter Raven, Ph.D. version in the Senate when the Committee starting moving forward with National Advisors reauthorization. David Anderson, P.C. Peter Carpenter Yvon Chouinard We believe this “win-win” approach will help cash-strapped states reduce roadside William Conway Joan Ganz Cooney maintenance costs, while providing habitat for pollinators and achieving other benefits. Anne Ehrlich The attached group letter in support of the Highways BEE Act includes a diverse array Richard Goldman Paul J. Growald of 26 national organizations and companies, nearly 100 regional and local Founder and organizations and companies, 43 eminent researchers and more than 1,000 Chairman Emeritus Ira Michael Heyman individuals from almost every State. Scott McVay Will Rogers Peter Seligmann P2 (www.pollinator.org) is the largest organization dedicated exclusively to the Martha Stewart problems and potential of pollinating animals, a critical factor in both agriculture and Jerry Tone ecosystem health. P2’s mission is to catalyze stewardship of biodiversity. P2 places a Chuck Williams high priority on efforts to protect and enhance bees and other animal pollinators and their habitats in both working and wild lands. P2 facilitates the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), an ad hoc, tri-national collaboration involving scientists, stakeholders and agency officials working together on consensus- based efforts for the benefit of pollinators. We would like to submit this letter and attachments for the hearing record. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully Submitted, Laurie Davies Adams, Executive Director Attachments (3)-Highways BEE Act, Group Letter and H.R. 2381 Highlights HIGHWAYS BETTERING THE ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT ACT (Updated November 26, 2011) The undersigned support H.R. 2381, 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. 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. For further information contact Tom Van Arsdall, Pollinator Partnership Public Affairs Director at [email protected] or 703-509-4746. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS and BUSINESSES American Beekeeping Federation American Farmland Trust American Honey Producers Association Blue Diamond® Growers Burt’s Bees CropLife America Defenders of Wildlife Environmental and Energy Study Institute Izaak Walton League of America Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Lafarge Monarch Watch National Affairs and Legislation Committee and Conservation Committee of The Garden Club of America 1 National Audubon Society National Bobwhite Technical Committee National Farmers Union National Gardening Association National Garden Clubs, Inc. National Grange National Parks Conservation Association National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Pollinator Partnership Project Apis m. The Conservation Fund The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation United Fresh Produce Association Waste Management, Inc. OTHER ORGANIZATIONS and BUSINESSES Lookout Mountain Honey Bees, Alabama Shades Creek Chamber Players, Alabama Jensen-Olson Arboretum, Alaska Mat-Su Carbon Crew, Alaska Arizona Native Plant Society, Arizona Grand Canyon Honey, Arizona Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association, Arizona Parker Farms, Arkansas Bay Localize, California Beekind Honey Shop and Beekeeping Supply, California Cropbees, California Eggman Family Honey, California Fischer Apiaries, California Gaiacraft, California Great Sunflower Project, California Henninger Hill Apiary, California Honeylove.Org, California Hvass Honey Co., California Killian Apiaries, California Klausesbees, California LA County Beekeepers Association, California Mama Earth Matters, California Miss Bee Haven Honey, California Orange County Beekeepers Association, California Partners for Sustainable Pollination, California Pfeiffer Design, California San Francisco Bee-Cause, California San Francisco Herb Company, California 2 Saticoy Food Corp., California West Coast Aquatics, California BBB Seed, Colorado Bee Charmer Honey, Colorado Colorado State Beekeepers Association, Colorado Debeeze Honey, Colorado DenverBee, Denver Beekeepers Association, Colorado Highland Bees LLC, Colorado Pro Saw Inc., Colorado Sunset Mountain Properties, LLC, Colorado Syntax Spirits, LLC, Colorado To Bee or not To Bee - Beekeeping Supplies, Colorado Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, Connecticut Jones' Apiaries LLC, Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut, Connecticut Positively Clean, Connecticut Eagle Lake Honey, DC Friends of the National Zoo, DC GreenWorks, DC Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Florida Apalachee Beekeepers association, Florida Aviation Training Mall, Florida Brevard Zoo, Florida County Beekeepers Associations, Florida, Florida Escarosa Beekeepers Association, Florida Florida Association of Native Nurseries (FANN), Florida Florida Highway Beautification Council, Florida Florida Wildflower Foundation, Florida Green Isle Gardens, Florida Hairstreak Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association, Florida Headwaters Farm, Inc, Florida Miksa Honey Farms, Florida Native Bee Nest Site Project, Florida Natural Encounters, Florida Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association, Florida South Florida Audubon Society, Florida UGA Department of Entomology, Georgia Big Island Beekeepers Association, Hawaii Deep Roots Farm & Design, Idaho Hugus Creek Honey Farm, Idaho Chicago Academy of Sciences, Illinois Chicago Honey Co-Op, Illinois Dundee Township, Illinois Fritinancy Bee Company, LLC, Indiana Indiana Beekeepers Association, Inc., Indiana Indiana State Council of Pheasants Forever, Indiana 3 Indiana Wildlife Federation, Indiana Moon Valley Farm, Indiana Save the Dunes, Indiana Midwest Pollinator Conservation, Iowa Walter T. Kelley Co., Kentucky Wild Ones Lexington Chapter, Ann Bowe Designs, Kentucky Simmons Honey Farm, Louisiana Bee Blossom Botanicals, Maine Bee Pride, Maine Belfast Co-op, Maine Cumberland County Beekeepers Association, Maine Main State Beekeepers Association, Maine Mossflower Farm, Maine Overland Apiaries, Maine Somerset Beekeepers, Maine Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, Maine Anacostia Watershed Society, Maryland Apex Bee Company, Maryland BannerBee Company LLC, Maryland Bowie-Upper Marlboro Beekeepers Association, Maryland Small Planet Projects, LLC, Maryland Franklin County Massachusetts Beekeepers Association, Massachusetts Green River Ambrosia, Massachusetts Yourgardenshow, Massachusetts Hardy Bee Farms, Michigan Kalamazoo Area Chapter of Wild Ones, Michigan Stray Duck Farms, Michigan The Hubbel Family, Michigan Bare Honey LLC, Minnesota Evening Star Nature Reserve, Minnesota Mademoiselle Miel, Minnesota Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association, Minnesota Rittenhouse Bee Farm, Inc., Minnesota Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Missouri The Tributary Fund, Montana Nebraska Wildlife Federation,