Oppose Hartzler-Hudson amendment to BEE Highways Act

11/7/2015 update from Pollinator Partnership – amendment seeking to eliminate funding for vegetation management was defeated:

172 (122-R, 0-D) for and 255 (71-R, 184-D) against.

Strong bipartisan vote against.

Everyone who took action made a difference. Many groups and individuals weighed in against the Hartzler amendment.

Leadership of Denham (R-CA) was key, as well as Hastings (D-FL). All who support vegetation management that benefits pollinators along rights-of-way owe those two members a big thanks.

House passed Transportation bill Thursday, and immediately named conferees, including Denham. House-Senate conference has started, with short-term extension expiring November 10 (could see another short-term extension).

Regardless, significant pollinator-beneficial provisions are in a major transportation bill for the first time ever!

Work far from done even with enactment-working with State Departments of Transportation will be key to making progress for pollinators on the rights-of-way landscape. The White House has scheduled a summit focused on pollinator habitat along roadsides in early December.

Above information provided by R. Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Director of Public Policy, Pollinator Partnership

FANN NOTE: This was a nice example of unity across our large industry – landscape architects, growers, agriculture and others. Let’s keep our roadsides working for our taxpayer dollars – that means manage those extensive roadsides for maximum aeshetic and ecosystem services benefits.

DEADLINE TUES NOV 3 – Please join FANN, the Pollinator Partnership, American Society of Landscape Architects and other organizations by signing a group letter opposing the Hartzler (R-MO)-Hudson (R-NC) amendment to the national BEE Highways Act. The Hartzler(MO)-Hudson(NC) amendment would eliminate funding for vegetation management.

• The amendment will be offered later this week on the House floor to Transportation Reauthorization legislation (H.R. 3763).
• The amendment would eliminate funding for all vegetation management projects for federal highways and other rights-of-way.
• If adopted, this provision would strip funding that could be used by States to improve pollinator habitat on rights-of-way.

Background and Update

• A key provision authored by Rep Jeff Denham (R-CA) encouraging pollinator habitat along roadsides was included in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform (STRR) Act of 2015 (H.R. 3763), a comprehensive bill to reauthorize and reform federal highway programs. H.R. 3763 was unanimously approved on October 22 by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) secured a pollinator roadsides provision included in the transportation reauthorization bill passed earlier this year by the full Senate.
• The pollinator roadsides provision in both bills is based on H.R. 2738, the Highways BEE Act, which was introduced prior to 2015 National Pollinator Week by Denham and Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), co-chairs of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus (CP2C).
• The provision directs Secretary of Transportation to use existing authorities, programs and funding to assist IVM and pollinator habitat efforts by willing State DOT’s AND adds eligibility for pollinator habitat to a key eligibility account.
• Over 250 national, regional, and local organizations and 2,800 American scientists and individuals from all walks of life across the nation signed a petition in support of such legislation. For more information, go to http://www.pollinator.org/BEEAct.htm.

FANN supports the BEE Highways Act included in Transportation Reauthorization legislation with bipartisan support in both the Senate and House. It’s taken 5 years to get this far, let’s not fall behind now. FANN extends our thanks to Pollinator Partnership and their Director of Public Policy, Tom Van Arsdall, for their work on this important legislation. #Savethebees

Posted on November 2, 2015 by FANN