The Board of County Commissioners has adopted a resolution affirming the county’s support of pollinators and their importance. And no, we’re not pollen your leg.
Pollinators include animals such as bees and other insects, birds and bats that transfer pollen, fertilizing flowers that subsequently produce nuts, fruits and vegetables. These animals play a key role in the health of our forests and grasslands, and our ecosystem as a whole.
The agricultural industry is a critical part of Clackamas County’s local economy. Together with the nurseries, greenhouses and food production industries, it generates a localized gross annual product of more than $277 million.
“Without these creatures, we would have a potential collapse of a foodshed here in Clackamas County,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader, who championed the resolution and also holds a master’s degree in entomology. “They pollinate major crops in our county, including blueberries, clover seeds, vegetable seeds, pears, cherries and more. Without these native populations, we would have difficulty growing our food.”
The resolution outlines various steps that the county will take in support of pollinators, including placing or promoting pollinator gardens, mason bee boxes and other best practices to help pollinators survive, flourish and thrive.
You can see the full list in the resolution below. All told, it’s sure to keep county staff and commissioner busy as bees. (OK, we’re done.)
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Clackamas County has a strategic priority to honor, utilize, promote and invest in natural resources. Read about this priority and others on the county’s website.
Photo by Forest Wander, licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0.
