Beekeepers, we need your help now!

Minnesota Honey Producers Assn.
February 23, 2017
Dear Fellow Beekeeper,

 Beekeepers, please contact your state reps and senators from your district.  House bill HF-124 and its sister bill in the senate SF-218 are amendments to the existing law that prohibits roadside mowing and baling on state and trunk highways in MN before the August 1st deadline.  This law was originally enacted in 1985! And passed unanimously.  The current house bill with amendments to allow mowing and baling at anytime of the year without seeking permits or approval has passed the second committee and could be voted on soon.  Landowners that don't wish their ditches to be mowed and baled before Aug 1 must ask for and receive approval from their local road commissioner.

  Please impress upon them the importance of delaying mowing until Aug 1 and it's impact for your bees,  the law was passed in 1985 unanimously, preserving habitat is more important  today than ever.  Tell them the benefit to Minnesota's pollinators far outweighs the value of poor quality ditch hay. Tell them it is backwards thinking to allow a few individuals to profit off the wonderful ditch hay, and that people that don't want their stretch of ditches mowed and baled before aug 1 must ask for and and be granted permission to preserve their ditch habitat. Tell them we've had pheasant summits and pollinator summits in this state the last 2 years to figure out how to improve habitat, and that improving roadside ditch habitat has always been a centerpiece in these possible solutions.  This is a giant step in the other direction.

  It's fairly simple to find your reps and track the bills and read them. Go to www.leg.state.mn.us  Or just type in MN house of reps.  Type in the bill #.  You can search for your reps and senators by town and zip code if you don't know who represents you.  Contact your legislator

Thank you

Dan Whitney
pres MHPA