Governor Walz already sent out an executive order earlier this session that aims to restore the “Healthy, Diverse Pollinator Populations that Sustain and Enhance Minnesota’s Environment, Economy, and Way of Life.”
This new program would allocate $900,000 annually to pay Minnesota homeowners who desire to create bee gardens in their very own yards. The homeowners would have to plant bee-friendly flowers like wildflower and clover grass to attract local bee species.
The program covers up to 75 percent of the homeowners expenses in transforming their yard but those who live in “high potential” regions for the targeted species could have up to 90% of their expenses covered. The program aims to recover the endangered bee species of the rusty patched bumble bee, which is indigenous to North America.
The program lies in the Omnibus Environment and Natural Resources Bill and is called “lawns to legumes.” It grants the Board of Water and Soil Resources with the task of establishing criteria for the grants to homeowners who wish to take part in creating a bee-friendly yard.
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Megan Olson
Megan Olson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota with degrees in political science and history. She works in public affairs in addition to serving on the Legislative Advisory Council for School District 196. She is also on the school board for FIT academy, a charter school in Apple Valley.
