R 301

2016 -- H 8265 Enacted 06/14/2016

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO MAKE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO MAINTAINING, PROTECTING AND ENHANCING POLLINATOR HABITAT AND HEALTH IN RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Keable, and Edwards

Date Introduced: May 27, 2016

WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has been

invested with the power and duty to supervise and control the protection, development, planning

and utilization of the natural resources of the state, including insects, and to promote agriculture

in the state, and to regulate the registration and application of pesticides in the state; and

WHEREAS, Pollinators including bees provide invaluable ecosystems services that are

crucial to wellbeing in the state; and

WHEREAS, Populations of pollinators including bees have been subject to stress and

impairment in the United States and elsewhere to the extent that pollinator habitat and health have

become matters of reasonable, significant public and environmental concern; and

WHEREAS, The causes of this stress and impairment may be multiple and are the

subject of active, on-going studies that can yield advances in understanding of how to improve

conditions and practices affecting pollinator habitat and health; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island currently lacks a systematic and comprehensive assessment of

such studies and advances in understanding and how they might be applied to the benefit of

Rhode Island; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests the Director of the Department of

Environmental Management to convene a working group of not less than seven nor more than

eleven members, which shall include a representative of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape

Association and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and between five and nine members

appointed by the Director, not more than one of whom may be a representative of the

Department, and which appointments shall be made with the purpose of providing for fair balance

and representation of interests concerned with the issues to be considered by the working group;

and be it further

RESOLVED, The working group shall be charged with: (a) Making findings with regard

to: (1) Developments in the scientific and technical understanding of conditions and practices

affecting pollinator populations; (2) Conditions and practices affecting the maintenance,

protection, and enhancement of pollinator habitat and health in Rhode Island; (3) Potential costs

and benefits of changing such conditions and practices; and (b) With making recommendations,

based on its findings, to maintain, protect, and enhance pollinator health and habitat in Rhode

Island; and be it further

RESOLVED, The Director shall designate one member of the working group to be its

coordinator /presiding officer and the meetings of the working group shall be open to the public

and shall be posted by the Department in accordance with the Open Meetings Law; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives hereby respectfully requests the Rhode

Island Nursery and Landscape Association and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island in

collaboration with other members of the working group, to provide such administrative, staff and

logistical support as the working group may require; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives respectfully requests that the working

group provides a written report of its finding and recommendations to the Director and to the

House of Representatives on or before February 15, 2017; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

Environmental Management.

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LC006079

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