Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution proclaims the City of Madison Board of Park Commissioners' commitment to supporting pollinator health throughout the parks system. The City of Madison is a certified Bee City and the Madison Common Council has authorized the City of Madison to take the Mayor's Monarch Pledge to support pollinator health. The annual cost to participate in these organizations is $500 each and is included in the Parks Division's 2024 Operating Budget. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Reaffirming the City of Madison's Commitment to Supporting Pollinator Health and Authorizing the City of Madison to Take the Mayors Monarch Pledge.
Body
WHEREAS, in 2017, the City of Madison became a certified Bee City per the requirements outlined by BEE CITY USA®; and,
WHEREAS, pollinator-friendly communities can benefit local and regional economies through healthier ecosystems, increased vegetable and fruit crop yields, and increased demand for pollinator-friendly plant materials from local nurseries and growers; and,
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; and,
WHEREAS, bees and other pollinators have experienced population declines due to a combination of habitat loss, use of pesticides, and the spread of pests and diseases; and,
WHERAS, Garden Scouts, a volunteer group at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, surveys the outdoors gardens for pollinators and records sightings in iNaturalist; and
WHEREAS, the rusty patched bumblebee - a resident species at Olbrich Botanical Gardens and once commonly seen in 28 states, including Wisconsin, as recently as the 1990’s - has become the first bumblebee species to be listed as endangered under federal law; and,
WHEREAS, in 2014, the Madison Common Council passed RES-14-00747 directing the Madison Food Policy Council to initiate a Pollinator Protection Task Force to study pollinator health and make recommendations on how the City can support pollinators; and,
WHEREAS, in 2017, the Madison Common Council accepted the report of the Pollinator Protection Task Force as the guiding document for the City of Madison to address the issue of pollinator decline and directing the Madison Food Policy Council, with assistance of city staff, to implement the recommendations; and,
WHEREAS, in order to enhance understanding among local government staff and the public about the vital role that pollinators play and what each of us can do to sustain them, Madison chooses to support and encourage pollinator habitat creation and enhancement on both public and private land; and,
WHEREAS, the North American monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 90% in the past two decades; and,
WHEREAS, the migration route of the Eastern population includes the Great Lakes region, and many cities, towns and counties have a critical role to play to help save the monarch butterfly; and,
WHEREAS, in 2017, the Madison Common Council authorized the City of Madison to take the Mayor's Monarch Pledge; and,
WHEREAS, Olbrich Botanical Gardens has been certified as a Colossal Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch; and,
WHEREAS, in May 2024, the Habitat Stewardship Subcommittee and Board of Park Commissioners adopted the Parks Division’s updated Land Management Plan (Leg File 77758), which identifies land management practices that benefit the overall ecosystem including pollinators; and
WHEREAS, Madison General Ordinance 27.05 permits residents to plant natural landscapes in their yards, which include pollinator or rain gardens; and,
WHEREAS, many residents of the City of Madison are also creating habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators on private property; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison has a goal of 1,000 rain gardens, with a current count of 773 registered gardens, and invites residents to participate; and,
WHEREAS, a rain garden, particularly one with native plants, can attract beneficial birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Monarch butterflies can thrive when rain gardens have milkweed and blazing star species. Birds can eat the native plant seeds during the fall and winter,
WHEREAS, Madison Engineering manages the “Terrace Rain Garden Program” that builds and plants rain gardens with native plants in terraces during street reconstruction; and,
WHEREAS, stormwater land in new developments is required to be planted with native seed mixes and maintained in a manner so as to promote native plant establishment; and,
WHEREAS, in 2020, 2022 and 2023, the City of Madison reaffirmed its commitment to supporting pollinator health (RES-20-00412), (RES-22-00300), (RES-23-00227); and,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Madison reaffirms its commitment to supporting pollinator health, and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Madison will sign the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and reaffirms its commitment to continuing to implement Action Items to support the North American Monarch butterfly.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the City of Madison thanks those residents who have already installed rain or pollinator gardens, and encourages all residents who are able to do so, to plant pollinator rain gardens or native pollinator plantings on their property
Sources:
<https://www.cityofmadison.com/news/stuck-at-home-plant-a-rain-garden-help-city-reach-1000-rain-garden-goal>
<https://www.beecityusa.org/>
<https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Mayors-Monarch-Pledge/Mayors-Monarch-Pledge-Action-Items>
Progress for Pollinators in Madison Parks <https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/blog/?Id=21479>
Madison Parks Land Management Plan <https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/about/landmanagement.cfm>
53439 - Parks Division IPM Practices_Pres 010719.pdf (legistar.com) <https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=6974871&GUID=98FEA45F-73D6-4E79-895B-AA37C0F6D5BD>
Pollinators | Engineering, City of Madison, Wisconsin <https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/stormwater/education/pollinators>
Garden Scouts iNaturalist <https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/2023-garden-scouts-of-olbrich-botanical-gardens>