HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5240COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 5240
A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING EUGENE AS A BEE CITY
USA AFFILIATE
PASSED: 8:0
REJECTED:
OPPOSED:
ABSENT:
CONSIDERED: July 23, 2018
RESOLUTION NO. 5240
A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE CITY OF EUGENE A BEE CITY
USA® AFFILIATE.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
A. The mission of BEE CITY USA® is to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators
responsible for the reproduction of 90% of the world's wild plant species, by providing them with
healthy habitat rich in a variety of native plants and free, or nearly free, of pesticides.
B. Due in part to the tremendous diversity of wild native bees, along with the honey
bees that were brought to the United States from Europe in the 1600s, we have very diverse dietary
choices rich in fruits, nuts, vegetables and even dairy products. One in every three bites of food
we eat is courtesy of insect pollination.
C. Bees and other pollinators have experienced population declines due to a
combination of habitat loss, widespread use of pesticides, and the spread of invasive species and
diseases.
D. 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
E. An ideal pollinator -friendly habitat:
(1) Provides diverse and abundant nectar and pollen from plants blooming in
succession throughout the growing season;
(2) Provides water for drinking, nest -building, cooling, diluting stored honey, and
butterfly puddling;
(3) Provides spaces (leaf and brush piles, un -mowed fields or field margins, bare
ground, fallen trees and other dead wood) for nesting and overwintering for
wild pollinators;
(4) Is pesticide -free or has minimal and least toxic but effective pesticide use
carried out with least ill effects on pollinators;
(5) Is comprised of mostly, if not all, native species of annual and perennial forbs,
grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees in landscapes because many wild pollinators
prefer or depend on the native plants with which they co -adapted;
(6) Includes, where possible, designated pollinator and/or pesticide -free zones in
public spaces with signage to educate the public and build awareness; and,
(7) Provides for safe and humane removal of honey or native bees when required
and possible.
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F. Supporting pollinators fosters environmental awareness and sustainability, and
increases interactions among community stewards, backyard beekeepers, farmers, children,
educators, Master Gardeners, local businesses, faith -based organizations, and nature -related
organizations.
G. 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, the Eugene
City Council supports and encourages pollinator habitat creation and enhancement on both public
and private land.
H. The City of Eugene should be certified a BEE CITY USA community because:
(1) Eugene has banned neonicotinoid use on city property;
(2) Eugene invests in the creation, restoration and management of native pollinator
habitat;
(3) Eugene has an Integrated Pest Management plan that includes non -chemical
techniques and reduces pesticide use on City property with least toxic and most
effective techniques; and
(4) Eugene maintains pesticide -free parks and strives to create additional
pesticide -free parks.
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a
Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows:
Section 1. The City Council directs the City Manager to pursue the designation of the City
of Eugene as a BEE CITY USA community, with the Eugene Parks and Open Space Division
serving as a BEE CITY USA sponsor.
Section 2. In furtherance of establishing the City of Eugene as a Bee City USA and for as
long as Eugene remains a Bee City USA, the City Council directs the City Manager to continue
providing a city staff liaison to the Eugene Pollinator Protection Committee to support that
Committee's facilitation of the following:
(a) Celebration: Annually celebrate National Pollinator Week (third full week of
June) or some other appropriate occasion with educational events, pollinator
habitat plantings or restoration, proclamations or promotions that showcase
Eugene's commitment to enhancing pollinator health and habitat.
(b) Publicity & Information: Install and maintain at least one authorized BEE CITY
USA street sign in a prominent location, and create and maintain a webpage
which includes, at minimum, a copy of this resolution, links to the national BEE
CITY USA website, contact information for the local government's BEE CITY
USA liaison, contact information for the Eugene Pollinator Protection
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Committee, and reports of the pollinator -friendly activities the community has
accomplished the previous year(s).
(c) Habitat: Create, enhance and maintain pollinator -friendly habitats, which can
include, but are not limited to:
(1) Identification and inventory of City of Eugene real property that can be
enhanced with pollinator -friendly plantings or restorations.
(2) Creation of a recommended locally native species list to include forbs,
grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees and a list of local suppliers for those
species.
(3) Maintenance of a number of pesticide -free parks and a program to create
additional pesticide -free parks by working with neighborhood adoption
groups.
(4) Dissemination of informational and educational materials to the public.
(5) Tracking annual pollinator habitat created, enhanced or maintained.
(d) Policy: Comply with the City of Eugene Ordinance that requires an Integrated
Pest Management Plan and ban on the use of neonicotinoids.
(e) Renewal: Assist the City of Eugene, after completing the first full year as a BEE
CITY USA affiliate, each January to apply for renewal of Eugene's BEE CITY
USA designation.
Section 5. This Resolution is effective immediately upon its passage by the City Council.
The foregoing Resolution adopted the 23"' day of July, 2018.
3 to
City Recorder
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