Photo by Katie McDaniel
The Assembly Agriculture & Food Security Committee met to take action on several important bills. Through the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association (NJNLA)'s membership with the New Jersey Green Industry Council (NJGIC), they were able to provide support and clarification on bills that affect the green industry.
Below is a summary of some of these pollinator-friendly slate of bills:
These bills included legislation to create a "pollinator pathway" designation for municipalities, direct DEP to establish a pollinator habitat program for closed landfills, establish a "pollinator friendly" label for plants, direct DEP to establish a leasing program for State-owned land to be used and managed as pollinator habitat, designate the Common Eastern Bumble Bee as the New Jersey State Native Pollinator, and establish a bee-friendly habitat pilot program in the Department of Agriculture.
These bills (A1887, A1888, A1915, A2810, A2994 and A5072) were all passed out of Committee. Thru NJGIC representation at the Committee hearing, the NJNLA was in support of these bills.