Pollinator wins and losses
Pollinators are up against endless threats. This May, the EPA finally admitted that neonicotinoid insecticides "pose an existential threat to many endangered species and seriously undermine biodiversity". This year, a coalition of advocates including Pollinator Friendly Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Xerces Society, Pesticide Action Network, Audubon, Minnesota Environmental Partnership and American Bird Conservancy alongside concerned Minnesotans like you and me, rallied for pollinators to reduce bee-killing pesticides and provide protected habitat. This is challenging work since pesticide companies like Bayer are part of a wealthy industry which puts big pressures on leaders to promote pesticide use on our food and garden plants. We made some headway, and had some wins. Read on below about actions in Minnesota to protect pollinators.
Wins & Losses for Pollinators in Minnesota 2023
HIGHWAYS FOR HABITAT: There are 100,000's of acres of public lands along our roadsides - so why not create habitat there! Our Highways for Habitat bill passed. Now our hope is to follow Iowa's successful model for a Living Roadways Trust for local, county and state roadways. Highways for Habitat directs MNDOT to establish the program and get to work on better stewardship of habitat for state highways. Our work is not done as we push to expand this program so local and county communities can participate if they like too.
•Let Governor Walz know you want an ongoing Highways for Habitat program on your local and county roads.
•Read the Star Tribune article here
PROHIBIT INSECTICIDES ON PUBLIC LANDS:
The good news: Bill HF921 passed this year to prohibit neonic and chlorpyrifos insecticides on DNR-managed public lands (state parks, forests, wildlife management areas and scientific & natural areas). Prohibiting insecticides that have lethal and sublethal effects on wildlife should not be a question since these public owned wildlife areas are intended to be a refuge for wildlife. The bad news: Of these DNR-managed lands, a subset of 45,000 acres is leased to private individuals for profit primarily of GMO pesticide-treated corn. Only organic or untreated seed should be used on these public lands.
•Learn more about this initiative here.
INSECTICIDE-COATED SEED: Because of a federal loophole, pesticide-coated seed is not regulated like pesticides are even though the seed and its drift is highly toxic to pollinators, insects, birds and aquatic organisms. Additionally, we are not protected from improper handling, storage or misuse which was the case in Nebraska with pesticide-coated corn seed re-sold and cooked down for ethanol. In Minnesota, an ethanol plant was fined $250K for contaminating wetlands. Now, the EPA is being sued over loopholes allowing mis-use of coated seed.
In Minnesota, we pushed for better regulation to protect us and wildlife from misuse such as burying or burning piles of unused pesticide-coated seed. Although the Dept. of Agriculture and pesticide industry blocked needed pesticide regulation of coated seed, a few rules for safer handling of coated-seed passed in Minnesota.
•Read more about pollinator legislation in Minnesota from the NRDC
MORE POLLINATOR BILLS PASSED IN MINNESOTA 2023:
Pollinator plant labeling. False labeling of pesticide-treated plants as pollinator-friendly is prohibited.
Research of neonicotinoid impacts on wildlife funded.
Native landscapes are allowed in local communities and backyards.
Lawns to legumes program helps fund pollinator habitat for residents and groups.