The following came in an email received from the PA State Beekeepers Assoc.
Thanks to Lee Miller, President of the PA State Beekeepers Assoc. for alerting us to this issue and drafting the response letter.
Last year we had a budget of about $200,000 which paid for the regional inspectors for a total of 210 40 hour workweeks.
This years very limited funding was for a total of 64 37.5 work weeks. A very sharp decrease. That there is a program at all is testimony to the PA Department of Agriculture's commitment to the apiary inspection program. There were no funds allocated in the governors budget.
Beekeepers should be encouraged to write letters. They should be addressed to their local representatives, as well as members of the agricultural and rural affairs committee in the Senate.
These links will lead you to the contact information for the Pa House and Senate Agriculture Committees and you can also find the contact information for other members of State government.
In the Senate:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/cteeInfo.cfm?cde=3&body=S
and in the House of Representatives:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/cteeInfo.cfm?cde=2&body=H
The chair and minority chair of both committees should be contacted at the very least.
If you have questions feel free to e-mail us.
Below is sample letter.
Copy and paste this into an email or print and mail.
When sending e-mail to lawmakers use the subject: Apiary Inspection Program (Honeybees) in Pennsylvania.
To contact some of the lawmakers you will have to use their e-mail form available on the state website.
Local lawmaker contact Information
RE: Apiary Inspection Program (Honeybees) in Pennsylvania
I am concerned by the cut backs in the apiary inspection program and I am asking you to reinstate its funding.
The reason that you should also be concerned is the role that honeybees and pollinating insects play in Pennsylvania agriculture. The value of pollination services of honeybees in Pennsylvania is estimated to be 76.3 million. In Pennsylvania beekeepers manage over 35,000 hives and produce 1.3 million pounds of honey.
The efforts of the Pennsylvania beekeeping inspection program in cooperation with the State beekeepers associations have increased the number of beekeepers 13% to 2300 over the last year despite heavy winter losses. A vigorous inspection program has reduced American Foulbrood, a serious disease by half (from 3 to 1.5%) over the last 5 years and has had many other positive effects on this industry.
Beekeepers are affected by many threats including Colony Collapse Disease (CCD), fungal pathogens, parasites and the possible introduction of Africanized bees. A strong well funded inspection service is needed to monitor threats, develop treatment recommendations and disseminate timely bee information.
Pennsylvania can be proud of the leadership they have shown in dealing with CCD and have made major contributions to understanding threats to the bee industry.
Please reinstate funding for the bee inspection service.
Thank you for your time.