[Pollinator] Vermont Celebrates Pollinator Week by Passing Landmark Pollinator Protection Bill

[Matthew Shepherd]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Media contacts:


Emily May, Pollinator Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation; 240-645-6605; emily.may at xerces.org


Andrew Munkres, Lemon Fair Honeyworks and Vermont Beekeepers Association,
andrew at lemonfairhoneyworks.com



Vermont Celebrates Pollinator Week by Passing Landmark Pollinator
Protection Bill


MONTPELIER, Vt.; June 18, 2024 --- Vermont has achieved a significant
milestone in environmental conservation with the successful enactment of bill
H.706 <https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/H.706> into law on
the first day of National Pollinator Week. This new legislation is aimed at
protecting bees, other wildlife, and water quality from widespread
contamination from neonicotinoid insecticides. The bill phases out the use
of neonicotinoid treated seeds on field crops by 2029 and places
restrictions on some additional outdoor uses of neonicotinoids,
mirroring similar
legislation passed in New York
<https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-birds-and-bees-act-nation-leading-legislation-protect-new-yorkers-and>
state last year.


The legislature moved to override Governor Scott’s veto of H.706 with
strong support in both chambers, underscoring Vermont's proactive stance in
addressing environmental challenges and fostering more sustainable
agricultural practices.


"This bill is a major step forward in protecting our state’s pollinators
and the health of our streams and rivers,” said Emily May, Pollinator
Conservation Biologist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
“We’re grateful that Vermont legislators followed the science to protect
wildlife from pesticides and ensure a just transition for farmers.”


This new law will eliminate excessive uses of neonicotinoid pesticides.
Neonics applied as seed coatings on crop seeds represent the single
greatest source of reported insecticide use in the entire state with use
occuring on nearly 100,000 acres in Vermont. These usage rates are high
because treated seeds are used as an “insurance policy” or “just in case” a
seed pest is present. However, extensive research finds that corn, soybean,
and other seed coatings rarely provide economic benefits to farmers.


To provide assurance to farmers who may be wary of the change, the bill
includes an emergency exemption process implemented through the Vermont
Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets to grant exemptions in cases of
insufficient neonicotinoid-free seed supply, financial hardship or other
verification of need by farmers.


“Vermont-based commercial beekeepers feel relief today, and gratitude for
all the Vermonters who supported this legislation,” said Andrew Munkres,
owner of Lemon Fair Honeyworks and former president of the Vermont
Beekeepers Association. “In 2017, beekeepers on Vermont’s Pollinator
Protection Committee recommended phasing out the use of neonics. Seven
years later, it has finally come to pass.”


Munkres went on to say that beekeepers “finally see light at the end of the
tunnel. We might be able to pass viable beekeeping businesses on to the
next generation.”


Public support for this bill in the state reflected widespread recognition
of the critical role pollinators play in agricultural and natural
ecosystems. A recent statewide survey conducted by the Vermont Public
Interest Research Group revealed overwhelming agreement among Vermonters
regarding the importance of pollinators and the need for pesticide
regulation.


The new regulations will make a lasting impact on conservation of
pollinators and other wildlife in the state.


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About the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a donor-supported
nonprofit organization that protects our world through the conservation of
invertebrates and their habitats. Xerces works throughout North America to
conserve pollinators and other invertebrates, protect endangered species,
and reduce pesticide use and impacts. Our staff use applied research,
policy advocacy, public education and on-the-ground habitat improvement to
advance meaningful, long-term conservation. Xerces is the largest
invertebrate conservation organization in the world. For over 50 years, we
have been champions of Earth’s most biodiverse and overlooked animals,
protecting the life that sustains us. Learn more at xerces.org.
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