Posted: | May 14, 2019 03:47 PM |
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From: | Representative Robert F. Matzie |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Resolution - June 17 - 23, 2019, "Pollinator Week" in PA |
This resolution would recognize the importance of bees and other pollinators, as well as beekeepers, in the production of many of the foods produced in the Commonwealth. Pollinators are often critical to an ecosystem. Their work ensures full harvests of crops and contributes to healthy plants. An estimated 1/3 of all foods and beverages are delivered by pollinators. According to the Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems, pollinators provide important services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 crops, adding $217 billion to the global economy. Honey bees alone account for $1.2 billion to $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity in the United States. Additionally, pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, provide protection from severe weather, and support wildlife. The Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association cooperatively works with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension, and the Delaware Valley College on processes to promote pollination and beekeeping. This resolution would honor those groups for that work and recognize the efforts of pollinators and beekeepers in producing many of the foods we take for granted. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as HR385