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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/25/2024 02:36 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20210&cosponId=37349
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: May 19, 2022 10:59 AM
From: Senator Carolyn T. Comitta
To: All Senate members
Subject: Protecting Pennsylvania's Pollinators
 
Pollinators are necessary for about 75 percent of the plants grown across the world for food, beverages, spices, and medicine. Without pollinators, our food system would be unrecognizable. Unfortunately, a decline in pollinator populations is occurring throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation.
 
With agricultural monocrop expansion and consistent loss of habitat due encroaching urbanization, pollinators are left with a limited food supply and a loss of basic needs. To combat this potentially apocalyptic problem, states have begun implementing roadside pollinator habitat programs. These programs create pollinator habitats filled with native plants along roadsides to help sustain pollinator populations. The deep-rooted native plants will also provide benefits for stormwater, infiltration, soil stabilization, and water quality, while reducing the cost of roadside maintenance through minimized mowing needs.  
 
It is important to replenish and sustain the pollinator population in Pennsylvania, and I will soon introduce two bills aimed at doing just that that. This legislation is a companion to Rep. Howard's HB1758 and HB1759
 
Having a large population of pollinators in Pennsylvania is critical to the health and wealth of our heavily agricultural state. Please join me in this effort to bolster such a crucial aspect of our ecosystem by supporting this legislation.


Document #1

Introduced as SB1249

Description: The first bill will create a Pollinator License Plate, a program that will allow motorists to pay for a specialty license plate that will fund roadside pollinator programs.
 

Document #2

Introduced as SB1250

Description: The second bill will create the Pennsylvania Pollinator Habitat Program. The Department of Transportation, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture will work together to develop and establish the program to create native grass and perennial wildflower-filled habitats along our state highways to support the migration of pollinators.