Dear [Mayor/Councilperson]:

Did you know that nearly one-third of the food we eat depends upon insect pollination? Bees in particular are the most effective pollinators of agricultural crops in North America. Unfortunately, bee populations are dramatically disappearing due to widespread pesticide use, climate change and habitat loss. Recently, eight native bee species have even been declared endangered, including the rusty-patched bumblebee, which was once abundant in over half the country.

Just as we depend on bees for our food supply, bees depend on us for theirs. That’s why our community needs areas that attract, shelter and feed bees. As your constituent, I ask your help in creating green spaces on city property, dedicated to restoring bee habitat. A large garden or meadow would be ideal, but any patches of land could work — whether in public parks, along roads or near municipal buildings, like city hall, police stations, schools and libraries. A plan that is friendly to bees can also be simple and cost-effective because it:

• Emphasizes native plant species — those which thrive in our area also provide the best food source for native bees
• Eliminates the need for pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals — especially neonicotinoids, which have been linked to declines in bee populations
• Embraces beneficial “weeds” — there’s no need to mow dandelions, clovers, milkweed, goldenrod or other flowering weeds that have nutritional value to bees
• Encourages the community to do its part in helping raise awareness about the importance of bees

I appreciate your attention to this important issue. With your help, our community can make a positive impact on the well-being of these vital pollinators. Safeguarding the future of bees is a step toward safeguarding our own future for generations to come.

Thank you,

[Your name]

Dear [Mayor/Councilperson]:

Nearly one-third of the food we eat requires insect pollination, and the most effective pollinators are bees. Unfortunately, bee populations are declining at an astonishing rate. In 2017, the rusty-patched bumblebee, once abundant in over half of the country, was the very first bee in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered (joining seven species of Hawaiian bees). Bee decline is an ominous sign of the worsening health of ecosystems. Without bees, we’re all in big trouble.

A major threat to bees is the widespread use of pesticides. Chemicals that kill unwanted insects also kill beneficial bees and the plants they need to survive. Scientific studies have conclusively linked the use of neonicotinoids to the decline of honeybees, wild bees and other pollinators. The EU Member States have also recently recognized the threat posed by neonics and severely restricted their use.

As a policymaker, you have the power to pass laws, make decisions and set priorities for our community. As your constituent, I urge you to integrate bee conservation into our city’s Park Master Plan, Sustainability Plan, Climate Resiliency Plan and other city plans. Specifically, I ask that you:

• Change landscape ordinances to support integrated pest management and reduced use of toxic pesticides (including bee-harming neonicotinoids and glyphosate).
• Modify weed or mowing ordinances to allow bee-friendly native plants to grow to reasonable heights.
• Expand removal of invasive plant species and re-establish native nectar plants, shrubs and trees in city properties.

For the sake of bees, the environment and us, please integrate bee-friendly practices into our community’s pest management and sustainability planning. Preserving the well-being of these pollinators, and our fragile ecosystems, is critical to our food supply and future.

With Greatest Concern,

[Your name]

Dear Mayor [Last Name]:

As your constituent, I am deeply concerned about an issue impacting every member of our community, as well as every individual on this continent: our food supply. Nearly one-third of the agricultural crops in North America rely on insect pollination. Bees, the most effective pollinators, are vanishing at an alarming rate, due to the overuse of toxic chemicals which threaten their health and habitat. Now more than ever, bees need our help. Their future — and ours — is at stake.

I would like you to issue a proclamation urging our community and its citizens to make a difference for bees. Doing so would bring much-needed awareness to this critical issue that affects us all. At the end of this email, please find a suggested “Save the Bees” proclamation, for your consideration.

As you know, effective proclamations are best tied to relevant local events or national days. Here are a few dates which celebrate sustainability, wildlife and the environment, plus links for more information:

• March 3 – World Wildlife Day
• Second Week in March – National Wildlife Week
• April – Earth Month
• April 22 – Earth Day
• May – Garden for Wildlife Month
• Third Friday in May – Endangered Species Day
• June – Great Outdoors Month
• First Full Week of June – National Garden Week
• Third Week in June – Pollinator Week
• Third Saturday in August – National Honeybee Day

Thank you, Mayor, for your attention and efforts. Advocacy for bees will be a shining achievement in your considerable legacy of public service.

Respectfully,

[Your name]

Suggested “Save the Bees” Proclamation:

WHEREAS, North America is blessed with diverse wildlife and abundant natural resources, including more than 4,000 native bee species, honeybees that are essential to our nation’s agriculture and many other insect pollinators.

WHEREAS, Bees are our most important and efficient pollinators which are essential to the food supply for people and for wildlife.

WHEREAS, One-third of all the food we eat is the direct result of animal pollinators and wildlife also rely on the natural food chains that cannot function without pollination.

WHEREAS, Insect pollinators are themselves important food sources for other wildlife including the countless birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that eat the protein-and-fat-rich eggs, larvae, or adult forms of insect pollinators, or feed them to their young.

WHEREAS, One-third of our nation’s wildlife species are at risk of extinction in coming decades, including bees and pollinators like the rusty-patched bumblebee that recently became the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list.

WHEREAS, cities, towns and counties play a critical role in helping save bees and pollinators by creating pollinator habitat at parks, municipal buildings, roadsides and throughout the community where our citizens live, work, learn, play and worship.

WHEREAS, I encourage other city officials across our great nation to take a stand with me so that our nation’s bees and wildlife will once again flourish across the continent.

Now, therefore, I, [MAYOR NAME] of the [CITY NAME], do hereby proclaim [DATE] as: “SAVE THE BEES DAY” in [CITY NAME].