Bee Safe city-wide resolution for Boulder

“We got a resolution that is probably the most rigorous, most robust and most replicable to date.”

David Wheeler with Bee Safe Boulder says that Boulder’s recent adoption of the Bee Safe resolution will inspire other cities around the country to adopt similar resolutions.

On January 20th, 2015, members of Bee Safe Boulder asked that the city formally adopt a resolution to not use neonicotinoids on city property. The City formerly adopted the resolution on May 5th.

Rella Abernathy says that the majority of neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides were already banned on city properties in Boulder.

Bee Safe Boulder is holding a celebration of the new resolution on August 8th. A Bee Safe neighborhood is one where 75 contiguous households pledge not to use neonic pesticides which are toxic to pollinators. Boulder’s Melody-Catalpa neighborhood became the first community in the world to formerly get Bee Safe certification.

Under the new resolution, Boulder has committed to:

• Not applying neonicotinoid pesticides to city property.
• Encouraging “all related parties,” including county, state, and federal governments and private individuals to suspend their use of neonicotinoids until a thorough review is completed and a public health and environmental assessment can prove their safety.
• Seeking out plants and seeds not treated with neonicotinoids, and encouraging all businesses, homeowners, and HOAs within the city to make efforts to ensure no neonic-containing products are sold or used within the city.
• Engaging in efforts to educate the broader community about reducing neonicotinoid pesticides, and encouraging other states, localities, and government agencies to adopt similar policies.