LRB-3694/1
MCP:cdc
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
July 13, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Pfaff, Agard, Carpenter, Ballweg,
Hesselbein, Larson, Roys and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives
Snodgrass, Considine, C. Anderson, J. Anderson, Andraca, Cabrera,
Baldeh, Behnke, Conley, Emerson, Haywood, Hong, Jacobson, Joers,
Moore Omokunde, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Schutt,
Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Stubbs, Subeck and Vining. Referred to
Committee on Senate Organization.
SJR59,1,1 1Relating to: designating June 2023 as Pollinator Awareness Month in Wisconsin.
SJR59,1,42 Whereas, bees, butterflies, and other pollinator species have a critically
3important role in agriculture in the United States and help to produce a healthy and
4affordable food supply and sustain ecosystem health; and
SJR59,1,75 Whereas, pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of the
6world's wild plant species by providing them with a healthy habitat rich in a variety
7of native plants that are free or nearly free of pesticides; and
SJR59,1,108 Whereas, thanks to the more than 400 species of native pollinators in
9Wisconsin, along with honeybees, we have very diverse dietary choices rich in fruits,
10nuts, and vegetables; and
SJR59,1,1311 Whereas, pollinators help to produce an estimated one out of every three bites
12of food consumed in the United States and help reproduce at least 80 percent of
13flowering plants; and
SJR59,2,214 Whereas, commodities produced in partnership with animal pollinators
15generate $6.5 million in annual production, with domestic honeybees alone

1pollinating an estimated $14.6 billion worth of crops in the United States each year
2produced on more than two million acres; and
SJR59,2,43 Whereas, there are approximately 20,000 bee species in the world, 3,600 in the
4United States, and 400 in Wisconsin; and
SJR59,2,75 Whereas, in Wisconsin, pollinator-dependent crops are harvested on over
6100,800 acres, with apple, cranberry, cherry, green bean, and pickling cucumber
7crops accounting for over $230 million in annual production; and
SJR59,2,108 Whereas, bees and other pollinators have experienced population declines due
9to a combination of habitat loss, use of pesticides, and the spread of pests and
10diseases; and
SJR59,2,1211 Whereas, residents of Wisconsin have the opportunity to support bees and other
12pollinators on both public and private land; and
SJR59,2,1413 Whereas, the State of Wisconsin seeks to ensure a healthy environment and
14create policies that sustain our environment; and
SJR59,2,1915 Whereas, supporting native honeybees and other pollinators promotes
16environmental awareness, sustainability, and increases interactions among
17community stewards such as commercial and backyard beekeepers, farmers,
18children, educators, Master Gardeners, plant nurseries, municipalities,
19neighborhoods, and garden clubs and suppliers; and
SJR59,3,620 Whereas, the ideal pollinator-friendly habitat provides diverse and abundant
21nectar and pollen from plants blooming in succession throughout the growing
22season; provides undisturbed spaces such as leaf and brush piles, un-mowed fields
23or field margins, and fallen trees and other dead wood for nesting and overwintering
24for wild pollinators; provides water for drinking, nest-building, cooling, diluting
25stored honey, and butterfly puddling; is pesticide-free or has pesticide use carried

1out with the least ill effects possible on pollinators; is comprised of mostly, if not all,
2native species of annual and perennial flowering plants, grasses, vines, shrubs, and
3trees in landscapes because many wild pollinators prefer or depend on the native
4plants with which they coadapted; includes, where possible, designated pollinator
5zones in public spaces with signage to educate the public and build awareness; and
6provides for safe and humane removal of honeybees when required; and
SJR59,3,117 Whereas, No Mow May, a municipal effort encouraging homeowners to reduce
8their mowing intensity to provide forage for native pollinators, began in Appleton in
92020 and has expanded throughout Fox Cities municipalities to include the
10communities of Appleton, Fox Crossing, Oshkosh, De Pere, Fort Atkinson, and
11Hortonville; and
SJR59,3,1512 Whereas, a peer-reviewed scientific study of the effects of No Mow May and the
13community-wide delay in early May lawn care, specifically mowing early growth
14flowering plants, revealed that these efforts precipitated a five-fold increase in bee
15species prevalence and a three-fold increase in bee species diversity; and
SJR59,3,1816 Whereas, possible declines in the health and population of pollinators pose
17what could be a significant threat to global food webs, the integrity of biodiversity,
18and human health; and
SJR59,3,2119 Whereas, it is in the strong economic interest of agricultural producers and
20consumers in Wisconsin to help ensure a healthy and sustainable pollinator
21population; now, therefore, be it
SJR59,3,23 22Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin
23Legislature designates June 2023 as Pollinator Awareness Month in Wisconsin.
SJR59,3,2424 (End)
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