**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
New Hampshire Beekeepers Oppose HB-1698, Urges Public to Act April 13, 2024
Today, the New Hampshire Beekeepers’ Association (NHBA) voices our opposition to HB-1698, soon to be heard and decided upon by the New Hampshire Senate. The bill eliminates the requirement to notify beekeepers, or anybody, from pesticide spraying when using aerial drone technology.
You can read the amended bill here:
https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=1637&inflect=2&amendment-id=27113
Everyone, whether you are a beekeeper or not, benefits from honey bees and a host of natural pollinators that help ensure a robust food supply. The NHBA is seriously concerned, and speaks with one voice, that this legislation could have devastating consequences for bee populations, agriculture, and the environment.
Beekeepers play a crucial role in pollination through their husbandry of beehives and contribute significantly to the state’s agricultural productivity and ecosystem health. However, the application of pesticides, particularly through aerial drones, poses a severe threat to bee populations and the delicate balance of our ecosystem that is already threatened by ground spraying.
HB-1698 undermines existing safeguards designed to protect both pollinators and public health. By eliminating the requirement for public notification, the bill creates a significant risk of harm to bees, other beneficial insects, wildlife, and humans. Without proper notification, spraying pesticides in the vicinity of private and commercial beekeepers not only endangers foraging bees but has been shown to lead to the death of beehives as contaminated bees bring toxic pesticides back to the hive. Notification provides time for beekeepers to protect their bees and hives during pesticide spraying, as best as we can.
"The potential consequences of HB-1698 are dire," says Mary Ellen McKeen, President of the New Hampshire Beekeepers Association. “Bees are essential for our food supply and the health of our environment. Allowing unrestricted pesticide spraying via aerial drones puts these vital pollinators at risk and threatens our agricultural heritage."
The Senate will hear and discuss HB-1698 on Thursday, April 18 at 1:20 PM in Concord. Please attend to give your voice in opposition to this legislation, or through the following link: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/remotecommittee/senate.aspx. The New Hampshire Beekeepers’ Association opposes this bill and will do everything in our power to prevent, or reverse it. We urge concerned citizens to take action by contacting their representatives and expressing opposition to HB-1698. By raising awareness and voicing their concerns, citizens can help protect bee populations, safeguard the environment, and ensure a sustainable future for agriculture in New Hampshire.
For more information, please contact:
Mary Ellen McKeen
President, New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Phone: (603) 312-1027
Email: maryellen.nhba@gmail.com
### About New Hampshire Beekeepers Association:
The New Hampshire Beekeepers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the interests of beekeepers, advancing beekeeping practices, and advocating for the protection of honeybees and other pollinators in the state of New Hampshire.
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