Help is on the way (uh huh!)

Dallasbeek · July 04, 2016, 11:29:30 PM

"A new bill, the Pollinator Recovery Act, introduced last week by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), seeks to further strengthen pollinators? federal protection in Congress. Among other provisions, the bill would require the United States Department of Agriculture to conserve up to three million acres of habitat designated strictly for pollinators only."

So says a story June 27 by Madeleine Thomas of the Pacifoc Standard. Read complete story here:

https://psmag.com/is-there-hope-for-the-honeybees-5d9c36b244bd#.9lv60i1e3

Eric Bosworth · July 05, 2016, 09:11:56 AM

Just what we need, more protection of habitat. On January 26, 2015 in the Thanks EPA thread I posted...
"I think that you misunderstand the difference between intent and result.

Lets talk for a second about the endangered species act. On its face it creates more incentive to kill endangered species than to protect them. Let me explain... If I was to see a California Condor flying around my property, (Not likely to happen in upstate New Yuck but hypothetically...) what should I do about it? I could call the EPA and they could come in and dictate what I can and can not do with my land anymore devaluing my property... I could shoot the bird bury it and shut up about it and nobody would know the difference... Or I could do nothing and hope nobody notices it. I personally would choose option 3 but many endangered species have been killed because of option 2. That however is the good side of the endangered species act.

In dry climates, the endangered species act has other negative effects. In an effort to protect endangered species god forbid we managed forests. We have to protect habitat. So in an effort to protect habitat forests get overgrown. When forests get overgrown they suck all the water out of the ground. Then lightning strikes and starts a wild fire. God forbid we clear cut fire breaks. So there is nothing to stop the fire once it starts. So the end result is the habitat is destroyed, the species themselves are killed, and then countless dollars of personal property are destroyed with it. "

Preserving habitat for pollinators? All common sense has been sucked out of Washington. Especially considering the post (Forgive me if I am wrong but I think it was sawdstmakr) who said that where he is in Florida his bees do better in the city than they do in the country.

Ronald Reagan once said "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
I was never a fan of Reagan but I used to work with somebody who said "you are only as good or bad as your replacement... You will only be judged by your replacement." Reagan is looking better and better all the time.

BeeMaster2 · July 05, 2016, 12:46:52 PM

Eric,
As you mentioned, developers really hate having endangered species on their land. If an eagle makes a nest that you plan on building a subdivision, the ecologist will come in, stake out a large area that cannot be disturbed in any way and then they will set dates with which you will have to follow as to when you can build houses and when you have to stop all work. this is to make sure you do not bother the birds while they are nesting 60' up in a tree.
I watched it happen here in the Jacksonville area.
I talked to another developer who would bush hog everything to the ground before applying for permits so that when the environmentalist came to inspect, they could not find a stray endangered plant that they could declare the property un-developable to protect it.
Jim

Hops Brewster · July 05, 2016, 01:01:51 PM

God save us from more Government 'protection'.

GSF · July 05, 2016, 01:31:00 PM

Eric, you hit the nail on the head about option #2. Back in the mid nineties I was telling a friend about the Pileated woodpeckers that lived in the woods on our property. He gets all excited and says, "Man you better shoot them thangs! They'll come in and won't let you harvest your timber, build or nothing."

Of course I didn't shoot any, and have no plans to harvest any timber. But your point is well founded.

Eric Bosworth · July 05, 2016, 03:01:17 PM

Hops, You, say "I can't say I hate the government, but I am proudly distrustful of them." I am proud to say that I hate the government!... and I am proudly distrustful of the government...

Caribou · July 05, 2016, 07:13:20 PM

I have known people to cut down an eagle tree for no other reason than they had to have it down before the government found out about it. Their house was already built but the potential problems were not worth the chance.

They would have loved to have the eagle to watch but the government can make your life miserable.

Nugget Shooter · July 05, 2016, 07:23:56 PM

Indeed, boy have I got a couple stories, but I will spare you and stick to bees

Michael Bush · July 06, 2016, 09:02:48 AM

"I'm from the government and I'm here to help"...

Acebird · July 06, 2016, 09:39:40 AM

Without a government we wouldn't have this land to protect from others... the Indians would still be enjoying it. We have a government because people can only think of themselves. If we could think of others we wouldn't need a government. See how well it is working in Washington.

Nugget Shooter · July 06, 2016, 10:44:47 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush on July 06, 2016, 09:02:48 AM
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help"...

The most frightening 9 words one can hear from someone who has just knocked on their door...... RR

GSF · July 06, 2016, 02:20:00 PM

The most frightening 9 words one can hear from someone who has just knocked on their door...... RR

or...ring, ring..,

"I'm from the IRS, we need to audit you"

yes2matt · July 06, 2016, 03:32:15 PM

Quote from: Dallasbeek on July 04, 2016, 11:29:30 PM
"A new bill, the Pollinator Recovery Act, introduced last week by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), seeks to further strengthen pollinators? federal protection in Congress. Among other provisions, the bill would require the United States Department of Agriculture to conserve up to three million acres of habitat designated strictly for pollinators only."

So says a story June 27 by Madeleine Thomas of the Pacifoc Standard. Read complete story here:

https://psmag.com/is-there-hope-for-the-honeybees-5d9c36b244bd#.9lv60i1e3

If I understand the article, and if the article is an accurate representation of the bill, there is a component of monitoring pollinator counts. I think that means registration of colonies (how else could you count them? )and reporting of mortality etc. Which can be used for good or ill, cf. http://www.healthmagazine365.com/illinois-illegally-seizes-bees-resistant-to-monsantos-roundup-kills-remaining-queens/