Mayor Soglin, Common Council Move to Protect Honey Bees and Other Pollinators Through Special Taskforce

The Madison Common Council adopted a resolution earlier this month directing the Madison Food Policy Council to lead a taskforce, comprised of mainly city staff, to research the problem of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which directly affects honey bees and other pollinators. The taskforce will provide recommendations to departments and the Common Council on local solutions to protect pollinators.

President Barack Obama released an Executive Memorandum earlier this year directing Federal Agencies to establish a Pollinator Health Taskforce to research and provide recommendations across departments to improve pollinator health and to educate the public. Madison’s Pollinator Protection Taskforce (PPT) will monitor the progress of the federal taskforce, use best practices to inform its work, and review relevant recommendations from the federal government.

"Pollinator loss is a significant issue that threatens our food and agriculture system," said Mayor Paul Soglin. "While we appreciate the leadership of the Administration, we must look at local options to promote the health of some of our six-legged hardest workers."

The taskforce will involve numerous city departments, including Parks, Engineering, Planning, and Public Health and will be led by a small group of members of the Madison Food Policy Council. The taskforce is charged with reviewing each relevant department's current practices, best practices from other communities, and making recommendations to improve the health and habitat of pollinators on both city and private land.

"Monarch butterfly migration is at its lowest point ever and honey bee losses are at a 20-30% rate each year since 2006," said Nathan Clarke, the proprietor of MadUrban Bees, an urban bee keeping and honey production company based in Madison. "The problems of severe drought, global warming, and habitat loss, will compound these losses without significant intervention."

The taskforce will explore possible interventions including limitations of certain pesticides, increasing pollinator-friendly plantings on city land, and recommendations for property and homeowners.

"I am very pleased that we are moving forward on this very important issue," said Ald. Ledell Zellers, District 2 and Madison Food Policy Council member. "It is critical that we are leaders on this topic so that all of our neighborhoods can truly 'bee' friendly."

Taskforces recommendations are due to the Mayor and Common Council by August 15, 2015.