Parks and Public Landscaping Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2022 10 6

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About Native Pollinators Bees umsferpollenbeLween flowers, enabling the incredible diversity of plants nn our planet to fruit and reproduce. Pollinators are keystone species in essentially every ecosystem on earth, fadliial the eeprod-lion of over 85 percent of all flowering plants and over two- thirds of agriculrural crops. in addition to the domestic honey bee (Apis melLlfem), a.species bought to No,W America from Europe, Were are more than 3,600 speces of bees native to the Untied States. These wild bees are generally quite different than the dourest -Led honey bee —moat of of them lice solitary lives, ,iLh a single female doing all of the work to budd a nest, collect pollen and nectar, and lay eggs Unlike the honey bee, which nests aboveground and can be managed to wooden lives, more then two out of three witd heeslive underground in nests Wat can be hard to spot from the surface! Some dig down and lay Weir eggs several feet below, ground, while others snake nests near the soil surface or in hollowed out plant stems above geonnd. Research has shown significant declines in nadve pnllinatoe population sizes and ranges globally wiW up to 40 percent of pollinator speces on Earth at risk of extinction in Lhe coming years as a r UIL a variety of environmental atremors including habitm loss and degradation, exposure to pesticides, diseases and pathogens, and dirmL, dcange- What is Bee City USA? 'lhhtkhrg globally and acting locally Be, City USA bongs communities together, to sustain pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. Affiliates of Bee City USA also work to inspire others to take still to conserve pollinators through education and outreach. Bce City USA affiliates make commitments to wnscrvc native p.11fir ors, laid out to a resolution adopted by the local city council. Join the cities across the country rallying to protect pollinators and cicate positive change! Commitments So what does becoming an ndliets, of See CiLy USA entail? Bee City USA atrlliaLes 1—y oat a set of 1—miunents, defined in a resolution, for creating sustamahk habitats for native pollinators. Ciq- seatr and community members uvork together to Au1Nl these commitments and make their chy a better place for pollivamrs. Establish a standing Bee City USA committee. Create and enhance pollinator habitat on public and private land by i ncreasing the abundance of native plants and providing nest sites. Reduce the use of pesticides. Host pollinator awareness events. Incorporate pollinator -conscious practices into city policies and plans. Publicly acknowledge Bee City USA affiliation with signs. Maintain an online presence for Bee City USA activities. Annually apply for renewal and report on the previous year's activities. Benefits to Your Community Ensure sureival cfvitil animal'penes fndnding bees and other pollinators social to the health ofour cmirormcnt. Roild corn—rityy locally and nafinnaliy through bonging your city together around a positive shared cause and connect with communities across the country that have mas4 fire same commitment, improve local food production and raise community awarcncss of hoe our food gross. Support smalk local brain —cis inctuding native plant nurseries and pollinator-fri"11 andscaping. Address pest problems with fewer pesticidcs using integrated post, management. Heighten awarcncss of biological diversity. After discussing in detail at the April PPLAB meeting, Staff and PPLAB members noted that the Bee City USA program is in alignment with Louisville City goals of sustainability, reduced pesticide use, and agreed unanimously to make a recommendation to City Council to become an affiliate. Next Steps: If Council approves PPLAB's recommendation, PPLAB along with Staff will began the application process. PPLAB with then outreach to other City boards such as the Open Space Advisory Board and the Sustainability Board to partner in the interest of working collaboratively towards the commitments within this program. 2