Maryland is doing its part to fight the new crazy insano bee virus, yes, that deadly virus that has all the honeybees in this country dying like, umm, chocolate flowers in front of Augustus Gloop. The House of Delegates approved a bill last Wednesday that allows the Department of Agriculture to give grants to Marylanders planting native plants. Sounds like another whodunit. What does that mean exactly? Well, according to the bill, under the program the Department shall:
- increase awareness among nurseries and land managers of non-invasive plants that are pollinator friendly; and
- provide grants to increase the availability of seed and nursery stock for non-invasive plants that are pollinator friendly
Jeez do any of you still not understand wtf this is for? How do governments get work done!? Do us MD’ers get cash out of this, or is it for the retailers? Gosh, it really is in the details.
Picture courtesy of Wikimedia
Whoa! As someone who is new to Annapolis (and to the Mid-Atlantic region), I didn’t know anything about the “Bee Virus” but I am glad to see some bureaucratic action being taken - even if it looks a bit conflated and ham-fisted.
On my part, I plan on starting an Apiary at my earliest convenience… I’m a big fan o’ Bees.
Haha, BRING ON THE HONEY!
Ironic that this gets passed but it seems that unless a miracle occurs, house bill 1054, which designates the 1000′ around Annapolis community centers as drug-free zones, much like schools, which results in much stiffer penalties for drug activity, is likely to fail before it even makes it out of committee. Both are important - our environment and crime - but it’s amazing to see what will pass while something else fails.
what does a drug free zone even mean? As drugs are illegal, I don’t see how that would deter anyone from selling or producing drugs in a drug free zone. If anything, it could provide the naive blanket necessary to calm down the nervous neighbors. I see more impact in the agriculture bill above than one which declares an area a drug free zone. Is there something to a drug free zone I am missing?
Its the same as the zones around schools - anyone caught in those areas faces stricter prosecution, stronger sentences and longer jail times. You can read the actual bill at http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/billfile/hb1054.htm
The curious thing is, the bees that have been dying off are European imports.
RE drug free zone…its like saying, “well, we are making it even MORE illegal to sell drugs than it already is”. either way you are toast, so I still don’t see how that deters someone who is in the business of illegal doings. Although I have heard from people that some marijuana growers know the laws to the T so if they get caught its only a fine since they have X number of trees (whatever the local limit is).
RE bees….dying european bees = euro trash!?;)