1Designating the week of June 20 through 26, 2013, as "Pollinator
2Week" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Pollinator species such as birds and insects,
4including bees, are essential partners of farmers and ranchers
5in producing much of our food supply; and

6WHEREAS, Pollination plays a vital role in the health of our
7national forests and grasslands, which provide forage, fish and
8wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources and recreational
9opportunities, as well as enhanced economic development
10opportunities for communities; and

11WHEREAS, Pollinator species, such as bees, provide
12significant environmental benefits that are necessary for
13maintaining healthy, biodiverse ecosystems; and

14WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has managed wildlife habitats and
15public lands such as forests and grasslands for decades; and

16WHEREAS, The Bee Law, which appears in Chapter 21 of Title 3

1of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, and other laws and
2regulatory means provide producers with conservation assistance
3to promote wise conservation stewardship, including the
4protection and maintenance of pollinators and their habitats on
5working lands and wildlands and, through the Department of
6Agriculture, register and regulate each apiary; and

7WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association works
8with the Department of Agriculture to promote pollination,
9beekeeping and the production of honey; and

10WHEREAS, Among its activities, the association:

11(1) produces a newsletter ten times per year;

12(2) meets twice yearly to conduct business;

13(3) operates a booth at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and
14Ag Progress Days to promote honey and beekeeping;

15(4) maintains an education program to inspire new
16beekeepers and to continue to investigate avenues to provide
17information to more accomplished beekeepers;

18(5) supports Delaware Valley College and The
19Pennsylvania State University in projects, staff and grant
20requests that further research and continually promote
21beekeeping; and

22(6) operates the Honey Queen Program to promote honey
23and to provide beekeepers across this Commonwealth with a
24resource person to assist in promoting honey in local areas;

25and

26WHEREAS, The Pollinator Partnership is a nonprofit
27organization that protects the health of managed and native
28pollinating animals vital to North American ecosystems and
29agriculture; and

30WHEREAS, The Pollinator Partnership collaborates with

1stakeholders who manage or influence landscapes to do a better
2job of sharing the landscape with pollinators; and

3WHEREAS, The Pollinator Partnership's mission is to protect
4pollinators critical to food and ecosystems through
5conservation, education and research through a National
6Pollinator Week, a North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
7and Ecoregional Planting Guides; therefore be it

8RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
9week of June 20 through 26, 2013, as "Pollinator Week" in
10Pennsylvania; and be it further

11RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives congratulate the
12Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association, The Pennsylvania
13State University Cooperative Extension, Delaware Valley College
14and the Department of Agriculture for their cooperative efforts
15to promote pollination, beekeeping and the production of honey;
16and be it further

17RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the
18efforts of the Pollination Partnership to annually observe a
19National Pollinator Week; and be it further

20RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the Governor
21to issue a proclamation urging all citizens to recognize this
22observance; and be it further

23RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
24the Governor, the Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania
25Beekeepers Association and the Pollination Partnership.