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LEGALIZE URBAN BEEKEEPING IN LOS ANGELES!!

October 14, 2015 the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved our backyard beekeeping ordinance!

LA_Legalization_MAYOR_2015

After four years of public outreach, education and grassroots efforts across every part of the city spearheaded by local non-profit HoneyLove.org, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved urban beekeeping today by a vote of 15 to 0. Los Angeles hobbyist beekeepers can finally join most every other major metropolitan city on the globe with fully legal hives in their backyards.

*PLEASE SEE PRESS RELEASE LINKED BELOW:

It began way back in November 2011 at the Mar Vista Community Council…

For years we collected thousands of petition signatures both in person and online

We inspired 20+ motions in support of beekeeping from Los Angeles neighborhood councils…

Raised awareness through countless articles, tv/radio interviews, outreach presentations to local groups and schools…


FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES WE WILL LEAVE THE DETAILS BELOW ONLINE:


STEP 1:

sign petition
http://www.change.org/petitions/legalize-urban-beekeeping-in-los-angeles-2
Legalize Urban Beekeeping

STEP 2: Email a letter of support to LA City Council!!

EMAIL: katherine.peterson@lacity.org councilmember.huizar@lacity.org councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org councilmember.englander@lacity.org
CC: mike.bonin@lacity.org councilmember.labonge@lacity.org councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org martin.schlageter@lacity.org mayor.garcetti@lacity.org info@honeylove.org

-SAMPLE EMAIL-

SUBJECT: Council File: 12-0785 Beekeeping / Single Family Residential (R1) Zones

I am writing to ask that you make the legalization of beekeeping and the establishment of a humane bee rescue policy one of your top priorities. Bees are an essential part of our food system. According to the USDA, bees are responsible for the production of about a third of our diet. In addition, bees are a boon to local gardeners and urban farmers. As you may be aware, honeybees worldwide are in crisis, falling prey to the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder at an alarming rate, making beekeeping a serious food security issue.

Urban beekeeping has been gaining widespread attention especially since the President and First Lady of the United States began keeping two hives on the White House lawn and San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago and most recently Santa Monica and Redondo Beach have all taken decisive action and legalized urban beekeeping.

With all that in mind, I strongly urge you to: 1. Support efforts to: develop a new ordinance which will legalize beekeeping within R1 districts in Los Angeles; improve Bee Rescue policy; create a legal bee yard within the city of Los Angeles that will operate as a secure, temporary holding area for feral honeybee colonies that are awaiting relocation to agricultural zones outside city limits. 2. Change Los Angeles’ current response to feral honeybee swarms (which is extermination), and to allow only live bee removal on city and public property within Los Angeles.

REFERENCE: LA City Council File 12-0785 http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=12-0785

Thank you for taking the time to consider this globally important issue.

Lorax