Fiscal Note
No expenditure is required at this time. Strategies may eventually have capital and operating impact on various departments, subject to future Common Council approval.
Title
SUBSTITUTE- Directing the Madison Food Policy Council to convene, develop, and provide implementation direction to city departments for strategies to promote the health of honey bees and other pollinators.
Body
WHEREAS, the loss of pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, bats, birds, and butterflies, across the country have been severe over the past few decades;
WHEREAS, the loss of said pollinators has a dramatic impact on food production, especially fruit, nut, and vegetable production;
WHEREAS, while there are large factors in these losses at play, such as global climate shift, there are many strategies that localities can employ to limit the loss of native and other pollinators;
WHEREAS, scientists point to other factors in pollinator losses such as, loss of native habitat, exposure to pesticides, and lack of adequate diet, all of which can be improved on a local level;
WHEREAS, the White House issued a memorandum, dated June 20, 2014, to Federal Agencies creating a Pollinator Health Task Force and directing agencies to review current practices and prepare to implement strategies to improve pollinator health;
WHEREAS, taking the lead of the White House in raising the importance of pollinator health to our entire food system and the potential economic and health impact to our community, the Mayor and Common Council recognize the need to address the issue on the local level in addition to federal efforts;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council direct the Madison Food Policy Council to convene a taskforce on pollinator health that will be comprised of the following department/division heads or their representatives and other members. The taskforce shall be staffed by the Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator and chaired by a member of ...
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