Advocate

Advocate for policies that support and protect pollinators.

Advocate as an individual

1. Determine what kind of change you want. Not every change requires a bill at the state level. Sometimes you can work with your city council, county, or township to enact change locally.  Sometimes a positive difference can be made through a change of practice that doesn't require a bill, law, or policy, but can be made by communicating needs. Most decision makers are responding to multiple stakeholder groups, and may not be considering pollinators when making a decision, or may not understand how a simple change in practice can support pollinators. For example, a parks department or county road commission can consider adjusting mowing schedules or planting options if they have more information on what is best for pollinators. 

2. Understand the legislative process: If you are looking to advocate for a specific policy, it’s important to understand the legislative process. The success of your bill will depend on many things including the timing of when it is introduced and what representatives are on what committees. You can find information about how a bill becomes a law at the following sites:

   1. Know the Legislative Process & Players from the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest

   2. Understanding the Legislative Process from UNA USA

3. Reach out to your representatives: Representatives respond to the people they hear from, so it is key that you reach out to them. People can make their voices heard by calling, email, writing, or meeting with their representative. Representatives are most likely to listen to constituents, or voters in their district. To find out who represents you, visit usa.gov. Consider inviting them to visit your bee club, or for a hive visit, and make sure they know what things are important to you. The following sites from the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest provide recommendations for communicating with your representatives.

   1. Writing a Letter to Your Legislator

   2. Personal Visits with a Legislator

   3. Presenting Testimony

Advocate as a board

• Boards of beekeeping associations and other groups can also engage in advocacy. To develop an advocacy strategy for your board, visit the Road Map for Engagement in Legislative Policy from the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest.
• Boards should be careful that their advocacy is legal. To understand the legality of board advocacy, visit the following sites:
  • What is Advocacy? from BoardSource
  • Proof that Nonprofit Advocacy is Legal from the National Council of Nonprofits
• The online book Nonprofit Advocacy: A Michigan Primer from the Michigan Nonprofit Association the Council for Michigan Foundations provides information on how to make an advocacy plan and advocacy tactics. 
• The Council of Nonprofits provides additional advocacy resources.

 These organizations and papers show examples of pollinator policy.

• Pollinator policy examples from Pollinator Partnership
• Ten policies for pollinators from the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Insect pollinator conservation policy innovations at subnational levels: Lessons for Lawmakers by Damon M. Hall and Rebecca Steiner
• State Action from the National Conference of State Legislators

Get to know Michigan honey bee policy

• Michigan Apiary Law: Act 412 of 1976 (updated 12/1/2020)
• Michigan Beekeeping Rules and Regulations