Howard County Becomes a Bee City

On September 6, 2019, County Executive Calvin Ball announced Howard County’s participation in Bee City and launched a new pesticide initiative. Howard County’s Bee City-USA mission is to galvanize our communities to sustain pollinators, vital to our ecosystems and the future of our planet, by providing them with healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants and free to nearly free of pesticides.

We join a select group of jurisdictions across the nation as leaders in the work to preserve our environment, protect our food, and combat climate change.

As a Bee City, we will:

• Host educational events, pollinator habitat plantings, and restorations to showcase Howard County’s commitment to raising awareness of pollinator conservation and expanding pollinator health
• Develop a program to create or expand pollinator-friendly habitat on public and private land
• Create an integrated pest management (IPM) plan designed to prevent pest problems, reduce pesticide use, and expand the use of non-chemical pest management methods
• And we will establish a policy in the County’s General Plan to commit to the Bee City USA designation, as well as renewing our certification every year.

Follow these links to view the Howard County Execute Order and learn more about Bee City. Keep informed on all things Bee City by joining the pollinator email list.

Read the informative Press Release which provides even more information about steps Howard County government has taken to help pollinators and the Press Release about decreasing pesticide use.